Transoral and transcervical drainage are standard treatments for retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscesses (RPA, PPA), but comparative evidence between these approaches remains limited. To address this gap, a study evaluated their effectiveness and associated risks in patients with RPA (n=54) and PPA (n=30). Among the 55 patients who underwent surgical drainage, 18 received transoral and 37 underwent transcervical procedures. Recurrence was more frequent in patients with PPA (20%) than in those with RPA (9.3%).
By approach, recurrence occurred in 5.6% of transoral cases (1 patient) and 27% of transcervical cases (10 patients). Notably, no recurrences were observed in patients managed with antibiotics alone. Sepsis developed in 22.2% of transoral cases and 29.7% of transcervical cases. Patients undergoing transcervical drainage more often had extensive disease and comorbidities.…
