Retropharyngeal abscess complicating a neck wound

Non-tuberculous retropharyngeal abscesses in adults are usually secondary to pharyngeal or oesophageal perforation, or sepsis in the throat or sinuses. Mediastinitis may follow, and broad-spectrum antibiotics and surgical drainage are required. The management of neck wounds must include adequate radiology where there is a risk of retained foreign body, and careful exploration, under general anaesthetic in many cases, is necessary. In the case reported here, retention of a foreign body in a neck wound led to the development of an unusual retropharyngeal abscess.