• C Colmenero Ruiz, A D Labajo, I Yañez Vilas, and J Paniagua.
• Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, La Paz General Hospital Madrid, Spain.
• J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 1993 Mar 1;21(2):76-81.

AbstractNine cases of complicated deep neck infections, occurring during a period of twelve years are presented. Complications observed were cervico-thoracic necrotizing fasciitis in 3 cases, purulent pleural effusion in 6 cases, pericardial effusion in 2, mediastinitis in 8 cases, jugular vein thrombosis and rupture of the innominate artery in one case each. Although 2 cases were managed initially with blind endotracheal intubation, all cases finally required tracheostomy. A cervico-mediastinal approach was useful for the early mediastinal involvement. Two patients died because of inadequacy of the multiple surgical procedures resulting in persistent infection and multi-organ failure and one because of uncontrollable bleeding after innominate artery rupture.

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