Heart, Lung and Circulation
Volume 19, Issue 4 , Pages 254-256, April 2010

Descending Necrotising Mediastinitis, A Fatal Disease to Keep in Mind

  • Mahmoud Abu Abeeleh, MD

      Affiliations

    • Jordan University Hospital, Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgey, Amman, Jordan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Jordan, Faculty of Medicine, P.O Box 13857, Amman 11942, Jordan.
    • ,
  • Moaath Al Smady, MD

      Affiliations

    • Jordan University Hospital, Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgey, Amman, Jordan
    • ,
  • Haitham Qasem, MD

      Affiliations

    • Jordan University Hospital, Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgey, Amman, Jordan
    • ,
  • Raed Ennab, MD

      Affiliations

    • Jordan University Hospital, Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgey, Amman, Jordan
    • ,
  • Nader Al Bsoul, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan

Received 16 March 2009; received in revised form 27 August 2009; accepted 3 November 2009.

Descending necrotising mediastinitis, a term used by Estrera (1983) [1], is a rare and serious disease requiring prompt diagnosis and immediate aggressive surgical therapy. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute mediastinal widening. We report an unusual case of primary retropharyngeal abscess complicated by descending necrotising mediastinitis and bilateral empyema in a 56-year-old diabetic man. The diagnosis of descending necrotising mediastinitis (DNM) was established by the characteristic findings on computed tomography. The patient was treated by cervicotomy and staged bilateral posterolateral thoracotomy.

Keywords: Diabetic complications, Empyema, Retropharyngeal abscess, CT (computed tomography scan)

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PII: S1443-9506(10)00002-8

doi:10.1016/j.hlc.2009.11.010

Heart, Lung and Circulation
Volume 19, Issue 4 , Pages 254-256, April 2010

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