Abstract

We report a case of a 10 year old boy who presented with delayed onset of retropharyngeal hematoma post trauma with acute airway obstruction. He had motor vehicle accident 2 weeks prior and sustained extensive subcutaneous emphysema with bilateral pneumothorax due to rib fractures. CT showed hypodense collection measuring 1cm x 1cm x 2cm at retropharyngeal space with compression at the posterior wall of the trachea. He was intubated and underwent tracheostomy for persistent upper airway obstruction.

Key words: Retropharyngeal hematoma, airway obstruction, cervical spine injury.