An Infant Case of Lateral Cervical Fistulae Associated with Intractable Infection

Abstract

A 52-day-old infant with bilateral cervical fistulae originating from the second branchial apparatus was admitted because of left cervical swelling and fever. Computed tomography revealed findings suggestive of infection of the left cervical fistula, and the patient was treated by incision and drainage and administration of intravenous antibiotics. The swelling of the neck subsided by 7 days after the start of treatment and the patient was discharged from the hospital. However, the infection recurred repeatedly, and incision and drainage was performed a total of three times. Frequent incision and drainage to treat cervical fistula infections in infants has been rarely reported. Although general anesthesia in infancy should ideally be avoided, surgery should be considered in infants with frequent infection of cervical fistulae.