Symptoms of a neck abscess
One of the main symptoms of a neck abscess is swelling of the neck. The swelling in a neck abscess is often: The surface is usually tightly stretched, but can be pressed in a few mm with the index finger with pain. The more pus and inflammatory fluid is in the abscess, the more painful the swelling usually is.
Sometimes a neck abscess also causes overheating of the skin in this area and redness. Depending on the location, there is also a sometimes massive functional impairment in the area of the neck. The larger the abscess is, the more severe the functional impairment can be, which usually manifests itself in a difficulty in turning or stretching the neck.
- Painful and
- Pressure sensitive.
General symptoms such as malaise or fever can also be triggered by an abscess.As a rule, the systemic complaints are greater, the stronger the bacterial or virus infestation. If there is a high fever, it is essential to seek medical help, because there is a risk that the abscess has emptied into the bloodstream and blood poisoning (sepsis) has developed. An abscess can also become enlarged, infecting the surrounding soft tissues of the neck and causing swelling. Swelling of the neck can of course also be caused by causes other than an abscess. A reliable diagnosis can only be made by a physician and should be made especially if an abscess is suspected.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of an abscess is often made solely by interviewing the patient or by gaze diagnosis. The most important distinction here is the exclusion of a fistula. A fistula is characterized by the fact that it forms a corresponding duct that can connect several parts of the body.
In contrast, the cervical abscess is an isolated area. To be able to make this distinction, an ultrasound examination can be used. If this is unclear, a CT scan should be performed in borderline cases. In the case of a cervical abscess, a possible fistula tract can be visualized by injecting a dye. In this case, the mostly blue color, which was injected in the area of the conspicuous spot, would come out at another spot.
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