Unusual Parapharyngeal Extension of Peritonsillar Abscess to the Masticator Space

OBJECTIVE: The object was to describe 2 novel cases of peritonsillar abscess showing peculiar extension to the masticator space. METHODS: The methods included clinical case records, including computed tomography and surgical approaches. RESULTS: Both patients we encountered were suffering from systematic diseases, with case 1 involving a 75-year-old man with diabetes mellitus and case 2 involving a 90-year-old woman taking immunosuppressive medications. The abscesses were peritonsillar in origin, extending primarily to the parapharyngeal space, with unusual secondary extension to the masticator space. Extraoral drainage conducted in case 1 was useful for assessing the masticator space and surrounding spaces, but endoscopy-assisted intraoral drainage in case 2 was less invasive, obviating the need for identifying the facial nerve. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to bear in mind that patients suffering from systemic diseases may display unusual extension of deep head and neck infections, and enhanced computed tomography is a useful modality for evaluating such extensions.