Key Points:
- The most common chief complaint in patients with a PTA is sore throat.
- Patients who underwent a CT scan as part of their work-up for a
peritonsillar abscess had no difference in symptoms than those without
a CT scan.
- Patients who underwent a CT scan as part of their work-up for a
peritonsillar abscess had no difference in physical exam findings than
those without a CT scan.
- Patients with odynophagia, dysphagia, peritonsillar fullness &
erythema, and uvular deviation should be assessed for a peritonsillar
abscess.
- The use of CT diagnostic imaging for the diagnosis of peritonsillar
abscess should be judiciously weighed against the impact and time
these investigations cost.