A Clinical Study of Deep Neck Infection

경부심부감염의 임상적 고찰

Background and Objectives： Deep neck infections, which affect soft tissues and fascial compartments of the head and neck and their contents, have decreased after the develop ment of chemotherapeutic agents and antibiotics. However they may still result in significant morbidity and mortality despite the use of chemotherapeutic agents and antibiotics. Materials and Methods : A retrospective study was performed on 66 deep neck infections in patients admitted for diagnosis and treatment at Asan medical center from June 1994 to December 2000. Results : Age of the patients varied from 1 to 86-year-old and sex ratio of male to female was 1.2：1. Most frequently involved site was submandibular space (21.2%). Most common cause of infection was dental disease (28.8%). The isolated pathogenic organisms were Streptococcus species in 19 cases, Staphylococcus species in 7 cases, Klebsiella in 5 cases, mixed infection of Staphylococcus and Klebsiella in 3 cases and a case of Corynebacterium. 51 cases were treated surgically, 15 cases were medically. Mean duration of admission was 9.6 days in cases of single space infection, 17.5 days in multiple spaces, 8.1 days when the infection resulted in cellulitis, 13.4 days in abscess, 7.9 days when the infection treated medically and 13.4 days when treated surgically. Conclusion Early diagnosis and treatment is important to manage deep neck infection and the duration of admission was increased when the infection involved multiple spaces.