Table 5 Characteristics of 44 well-described patients with peritonsillar abscess (PTA) and descending mediastinitis (DM)

Zgheib [89]

52

M

Group A streptococci, E. corrodens

Drain

Ery → Clinda

Survived

Civen [74]

45

M

C. diversus, Group F streptococci, VGS, CNS, P. bucca, P. intermedia, F. nucleatum, A. odontolyticus, B. dentium, L. catenaforme, P. anaerobius, P. asaccharolyticus

Simultaneous^a

Survived

Alsoub [75]

32

M

VGS

Incision

Cephalothin

Survived

Alsoub [75]

47

M

Negative cultures

Incision

Cephalothin

Survived

Cordero [88]

27

M

S. anginosus, anaerobes

Incision

None

Survived

Nielsen [91]

25

M

S. anginosus, Bacteroides spp.

Acute tons

Iv. pen + metro

Survived

Endo [93]

67

M

Peptostreptococcus sp., C. albicans, Gram-positive coccus

Simultaneous^a

Survived

Endo [93]

63

F

Gram-positive coccus + Gram-positive rod + Gram-negative rod

Simultaneous^a

Survived

Manecke [96]

29

M

Beta-hemolytic streptococci, Pepto-streptococcus spp., Bacteroides spp.

Simultaneous^a

Survived

Corsten [99]

71

M

Gram-positive bacilli

No

Clinda

Survived

Sancho [76]

19

F

A. coloaceticus, P. aeruginosa, B. fragilis

NI^b

Survived

Sancho [76]

71

M

S. aureus, E. cloacae, B. fragilis

NI^b

Died

Sancho [76]

39

M

S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, B. fragilis

NI^b

Survived

Laxmipathi [90]

70

M

S. aureus

Drain

NI

Survived

Asrar [97]

36

M

Non-hemolytic streptococci

Incision

Iv. Unspec

Survived

Lautermann [77]

52

NI

AHS, CNS

Simultaneous^a

Survived

Lautermann [77]

61

NI

Negative cultures

Simultaneous^a

Survived

Mihos [78]

26

M

S. hominis, Fusobacterium spp.

Drain

Unspec

Survived

Collin [79]

48

M

S. salivarius

Incision

Amox-clav + metro

Survived

Sandner [80]

26

M

AHS, N. catarrhalis, C. albicans

Simultaneous¹

Survived

Sandner [80]

45

M

AHS, VGS, S. aureus, S. marcescens

Drain

Unspec

Died

Roccia [68]

65

M

S. anginosus

NI^b

Survived

Roccia [68]

50

M

S. epidermidis, B. melaninogenicus

NI^b

Died

Roccia [68]

53

M

Negative cultures

NI^b

Died

Roccia [68]

20

M

S. aureus

NI^b

Survived

Roccia [68]

37

F

S. aureus

NI^b

Survived

Roccia [68]

16

F

S. anginosus

NI^b

Survived

Roccia [68]

58

M

S. aureus, A. fumigatus

NI^b

Survived

Roccia [68]

52

M

VGS, Prevotella oralis

NI^b

Died

Roccia [68]

33

F

H. influenzae

NI^b

Survived

Roccia [68]

65

M

S. aureus

NI^b

Survived

Roccia [68]

66

M

S. epidermidis, P. aeruginosa

NI^b

Survived

Roccia [68]

57

M

S. haemolyticus, B. cepacia

NI^b

Died

Roccia [68]

58

F

S. aureus

NI^b

Survived

Roccia [68]

53

M

VGS, P. aeruginosa

NI^b

Survived

Kinzer [81]

67

NI

S. intermedius, Bacteroides spp.

Simultaneous^a

Died

De Freitas [83]

18

F

NI

Simultaneous^a

Survived

De Freitas [83]

30

F

NI

Incision

Unspec

Survived

Nakamura [100]

77

F

Bacteroides spp., Corynebacterium spp.

Simultaneous^a

Survived

Anderson [102]

NI

F

VGS

Simultaneous^a

Survived

Iyer [94]

74

M

Gram-positive, Gram-negative, anaerobes

Simultaneous^a

Survived

Gallo [98]

57

M

S. aureus (MR)

NI^b

Survived

Wahab [95]

29

F

Negative cultures

Asp

Pen + metro → clari + metro

Survived

Geerts [82]

34

M

S. aureus, S. salivarius, F. necrophorum

Simultaneous^a

Survived