Parapharyngeal abscess in a previously tonsillectomised child with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis syndrome: first reported case.

OBJECTIVE

We present the first reported case of parapharyngeal abscess in a child with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis syndrome, an uncommon syndrome of recurrent, self-limiting fever in children.

METHOD: Case report and review of the literature to date concerning periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis syndrome.

RESULTS

Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis syndrome is an incompletely understood syndrome which requires careful and thorough investigation in order to distinguish it from other causes of recurrent fever. There has been much recent debate in the literature over the merits of various treatment strategies, including tonsillectomy.

CONCLUSION

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of a parapharyngeal abscess in a child with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis syndrome, made more significant by the fact that the child had undergone tonsillectomy one year prior. This case provides evidence that tonsillectomy does not protect against one of the more serious complications of oropharyngeal infection in children with this syndrome.