Parapharyngeal Abscess: Antibiotic-only or Open Surgical Drainage?

Objective: Many problems of parapharyngeal abscess (PPA), such as etiology, predisposing factors, and therapeutic methods, are still controversial. We aim to investigate the characteristics of PPA to better understand the therapeutic effects of the disease. Methods: We retrospectively collated the medical record reviews of 49 PPA patients who were treated as PPA inpatients when a patient was hospitalized and diagnosed with PPA, and empiric antibiotics were used. Only if the drug treatment was ineffective, the abscess was large, or the disease continued to progress, and surgical treatment was adopted. Results: In total, 49 patients who met the research criteria were identified. Streptococcus was the most common organism in PPA patients. The morbidity of diabetes in PPA patients was higher than the prevalence of diabetes in the overall population. Interestingly, the length of hospital stay was shorter in the antibiotic-only group than in the surgery group ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, the duration from onset to treatment in the antibiotic-only group was shorter than in the surgery group. Conclusion: Our treatment protocol is effective. Antibiotic-only method is also recommended for the PPA which was effective for the empiric antibiotics and localized. Early diagnosis and treatment of PPA could ultimately reduce the severity of PPA.