Spontaneous epiglottic abscess: pathophysiology and airway management options

Laryngeal abscesses are rare in the modern antibiotic era. This report presents a novel case of an epiglottic abscess in a patient with diabetes who developed respiratory distress and was managed by awake intubation in the emergency room followed by transoral incision and drainage of the abscess and tracheostomy. Full recovery after 1 week of intravenous antibiotic treatment was observed. Surgical intervention is necessary for treatment and culture-directed antimicrobial therapy. Poorly controlled diabetes is a newly described risk factor for spontaneous epiglottic abscess development.