Early intervention of transoral laser-assisted marsupialization for adult epiglottic abscess

Abstract

Epiglottic abscess is a potentially fatal disease by airway compromise. Emergent airway intervention and admission to an intensive care unit are frequently required for patients with epiglottic abscess. Epiglottic abscess also doubles the duration of hospitalization compared to non-abscess epiglottitis. Abscess drainage, antibiotics administration, and airway monitoring are the mainstays of treatment. Spinal needle aspiration has been introduced to treat epiglottic abscess, which shows no significant additional benefit from a comparative study. Marsupialization has been commonly utilized to treat benign cystic diseases. Early surgical intervention of epiglottic abscess may resolve patient symptoms and secure the airway. Early intervention of transoral laser-assisted marsupialization for epiglottic abscess was a safe, simple, and reliable technique that guaranteed early recovery in 12 cases. Therefore, this article presents the procedures, pros, and cons of this method for treating epiglottic abscess.