Peritonsillar abscess drainage: using oropharyngeal endoscopy as a therapeutic adjunct and training tool.

BACKGROUND: Peritonsillar abscess, or quinsy, is one of the most common emergency presentations to ENT departments, and is the most common deep tissue infection of the head and neck. In the UK, junior members of the ENT team are regularly required to independently assess, diagnose and treat patients with peritonsillar aspiration or incision and drainage.

ISSUE: Inexperienced practitioners can stumble at several obstacles: poor access due to trismus; poor lighting; difficulty in learning the therapeutic procedure; and difficulty in accurately documenting findings and treatment.

SOLUTION: To counter these and other difficulties, the authors describe the routine use of video endoscopy as a training tool and therapeutic adjunct in the management of quinsy.