BEZOLD ABSCESS

Course overview

BEZOLD'S ABSCESS IS A RARE DEEP NECK ABSCESS AND IS AN INTRATEMPORAL COMPLICATION OF A COALESCENT MASTOIDITIS VIA DIRECT EXTENSION INTO THE PERI-MASTOID TISSUES. IT WAS FIRST DESCRIBED BY A GERMAN OTOLOGIST DR. FRIEDRICH BEZOLD IN 1881. SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF ANTIBIOTICS, THE NUMBER OF REPORTED CASES OF BEZOLD'S ABSCESSES HAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. ACCORDING TO SOME AUTHORS, SINCE 1967 THERE HAVE BEEN FEWER THAN 100 REPORTED CASES IN THE ENGLISH LITERATURE, OF WHICH ONLY FOUR CASES OCCURRED IN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CAUSE, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, AND PRESENTATION OF BEZOLD ABSCESS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.