Parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal space infection of odontogenic origin

This report is of a 64-year-old woman with insulin-dependent diabetes and hypertension with a parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal space infection of odontogenic origin. The patient presented with submandibular swelling. After treatment with antimicrobial agents and diabetes control measures, she had initial improvement. Progressive dysphagia, increasing neck pain, and mild dyspnoea occurred on day 8, and imaging revealed abscess formation in the parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal spaces requiring transcervical drainage. On day 15, the associated teeth were extracted. She recovered uneventfully and was discharged from hospital after 30 days.