PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - K Wu
AU  - A Ahmed
TI  - Penetrating injury to the soft palate causing retropharyngeal air collection
AID  - 10.1136/emj.2003.006205
DP  - 2005 Feb 01
TA  - Emergency Medicine Journal
PG  - 148--149
VI  - 22
IP  - 2
4099  - http://emj.bmj.com/content/22/2/148.short
4100  - http://emj.bmj.com/content/22/2/148.full
SO  - Emerg Med J2005 Feb 01; 22
AB  - Pharyngeal injuries caused by trauma are common and have been reported previously in the medical literature. In some cases of a penetrating injury there is a collection of air in the retropharyngeal space that can be shown on lateral soft tissue radiography of the neck. If this condition is not diagnosed or adequately treated the patient may develop severe complications such as mediastinitis. A case is reported of a patient with penetrating injury caused by a curtain rail and the subsequent treatment is described.