CLINICALLY UNSUSPECTED EPIGLOTTITIS DETECTED BY INDIUM-111-WHITE BLOOD-CELL SCINTIGRAPHY

A 62-yr-old woman with a history of mental retardation, paranoid psych osis and agitated depression presented with deterioration in her basel ine mental status and fever, No obvious source of fever was found on c linical exam or on initial laboratory studies. An In-111-white blood c ell (In-111-WBC) study was performed 1 wk after hospital admission, wh ich revealed increased uptake in the anterior neck and oral cavity. Su bsequent laryngoscopy revealed a red, swollen epiglottis compatible wi th epiglottitis. While not advocating In-111-WBC scintigraphy as pari of the workup of epiglottitis, this case is presented to emphasize the possible milder presentation of epiglottitis in adults compared to ch ildren.