Blunt pharyngeal trauma detected by ultrasound sonography: A case report

Pharyngeal perforation related to blunt neck trauma is a rare clinical entity. Here in, we report a case of pharyngeal perforation secondary to minor blunt neck trauma. A 46 year old female was brought to our emergency room with neck pain. She fell down and hit her neck directly to the edge of a bed. There was no crepitation in physical examination. Neck ultrasound showed a small amount of air in her deep neck space. Followed CT and nasopharyngeal scope supported the presence of pharyngeal perforation. So emergency exploration was done. We found a laceration of hypopharynx and it was repaired. She could discharged without any complication on day 7. The indirect finding of pharyngeal perforation is subcutaneous emphysema. However if the air is localized only in deep cervical space, physical assessment is difficult. Although CT scan is potent modality to find air in the deep organs, ultrasound may be alternatives. Emphasis is based on the suspicion that minor blunt neck trauma may cause pharyngeal perforation.