ABSTRACT

Hong Kong Med J 2000;6:322-4 | Number 3, September 2000
CASE REPORT
Acute epiglottitis presenting as the sensation of a foreign body in the throat
CH Chung
Accident and Emergency Department, North District Hospital, Sheung Shui, New Territories, Hong Kong
 
 
A 49-year-old man presented with dysphagia and the sensation of a foreign body in the throat, after he had swallowed chicken meat that contained bones during the previous evening. There were no respiratory symptoms. A plain lateral soft-tissue X-ray of the neck and oesophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a grossly swollen epiglottis. His condition improved rapidly with intravenous antibiotic therapy. As acute epiglottitis may be a sudden life-threatening condition, a high index of suspicion should be maintained for patients who present with an obstructive sensation in the throat.
 
Key words: Acute disease; Adult; Epiglottitis/radiography; Foreign bodies; Pharynx
 
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