Lymph nodes sometimes swell, especially if the body is fighting an infection. They help the immune system get rid of bacteria, viruses, and dead cells. The lymph nodes are the body’s drainage system. Your child's physician will give specific instructions to help your child's symptoms, which may include gargling and pain-relieving medications.Share on Pinterest Image credit: Hudson, Bernard, 2010. This procedure may require hospitalization. Often, antibiotics must be given intravenously (in the vein) and hospitalization may be required.ĭrainage of the abscess using a needle. Your child's tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapiesĮxpectations for the course of the conditionĪntibiotic medications (to treat the infection). Your child's age, overall health, and medical history Specific treatment of a neck abscess will be determined by your child's physician based on: CT scans are more detailed than general X-rays. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. A diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce horizontal, or axial, images (often called slices) of the body. A diagnostic test which uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film.Ĭomputed tomography scan (also called a CT or CAT scan). A procedure in which tissue samples are removed (with a needle or during surgery) from the body for examination under a microscope. To measure the body's response to infectionīiopsy. A procedure that involves taking a swab of the back of the throat and monitoring it in the laboratory to determine the type of organism causing an infection.īlood tests. In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for a neck abscess may include the following: Generally, diagnosis is made by physical examination. Always consult your child's physician for a diagnosis. The symptoms of a neck abscess may resemble other neck masses or medical problems. Red, swollen, sore throat, sometimes just on one sideĭifficulty swallowing, talking, and/or breathing However, each child may experience symptoms differently. The following are the most common symptoms of a neck abscess. Sometimes, a neck abscess occurs following an inflammation or infection of a congenital (present at birth) neck mass such as a branchial cyst or thyroglossal duct cyst.

Pus collects and builds up in these spaces forming a mass. As an infection worsens, it can spread down into the deep tissue spaces in the neck or behind the throat. Ludwig's angina is not common in young children but may occur in older adolescents, especially after a dental infection.Ī neck abscess occurs during or just after a bacterial or viral infection in the head or neck such as a cold, tonsillitis, sinus infection, or otitis media (ear infection). Pus collects under the tongue, pushing it upwards and toward the back of the throat, which can cause breathing and swallowing problems.

An abscess beneath the tissues in the floor of the mouth.

Peritonsillar abscesses are most common in adolescents and young adults and are rarely seen in young children. An abscess that forms in the tissue walls beside the tonsils (the lymph organs in the back of the throat). Retropharyngeal abscesses are most common in young children, because these lymph nodes atrophy (get smaller) by the time a child reaches puberty. In children, the lymph nodes in this area can become infected and break down, forming pus. An abscess that forms behind the pharynx (back of the throat) often following an upper respiratory infection. There are several types of neck abscesses that are found in children, including the following: Neck abscesses are sometimes called cervical abscesses or deep neck infections. As the amount of pus increases, the soft tissue spaces expand and push against the structures in the neck, such as the throat, tongue, and, in extreme cases, the trachea (windpipe).

A neck abscess is a collection of pus from an infection in spaces between the structures of the neck.

Baby lymph nodes back of neck