Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2010 Sep;51(5):784-6.
doi: 10.3349/ymj.2010.51.5.784.

Kawasaki disease mimicking retropharyngeal abscess

Affiliations
Case Reports

Kawasaki disease mimicking retropharyngeal abscess

Ramaswamy Ganesh et al. Yonsei Med J. 2010 Sep.

Abstract

Kawasaki disease is an acute, self-limiting febrile mucocutaneous vasculitis of infants and young children. Retropharyngeal lymphadenopathy is a rare presentation of Kawasaki disease. We present a case of Kawasaki disease mimicking a retropharyngeal abscess, with upper airway obstruction resulting in delayed diagnosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
CT scan showing hypointense lesion between C2-C6 levels in posterior pharyngeal space.

References

    1. Stamos JK, Corydon K, Donaldson J, Shulman ST. Lymphadenitis as the dominant manifestation of Kawasaki disease. Pediatrics. 1994;93:525–528. - PubMed
    1. Rowley AH, Shulman ST. Kawasaki disease. In: Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Jenson HB, editors. Nelson textbook of Pediatrics. 17th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2004. pp. 793–834.
    1. Burgner D, Festa M, Isaacs D. Delayed diagnosis of Kawasaki disease presenting with massive lymphadenopathy and airway obstruction. BMJ. 1996;312:1471–1472. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Newburger JW, Takahashi M, Gerber MA, Gewitz MH, Tani LY, Burns JC, et al. Diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of Kawasaki disease: a statement for health professionals from the Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, American Heart Association. Pediatrics. 2004;114:1708–1733. - PubMed
    1. Rothfield RE, Arriaga MA, Felder H. Peritonsillar abscess in Kawasaki disease. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 1990;20:73–79. - PubMed

Publication types