Surgeon-performed Transoral Ultrasound-Guided Aspiration of Peritonsillar Abscess.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Peritonsillar abscess is a common deep head and neck infection requiring early treatment to avoid a potentially dangerous spread of pus into the surrounding tissue. However, it can be challenging to distinguish peritonsillar cellulitis from an abscess by clinical examination. Many patients receive unnecessary needle aspiration attempts or exposure to ionizing radiation from a computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast to ensure a correct diagnosis. Instead, otolaryngologists can use ultrasound as a dynamic, radiation-free, and point-of-care imaging technique. Previously described transoral ultrasound techniques have limitations in clinical implementation due to transducer size and lack of real-time guidance of the needle. Therefore, we have improved the transoral technique using a small transducer to perform ultrasound-guided needle aspiration of patients with peritonsillar abscess. In this article, we will describe the method and present our initial results.