AN ATYPICAL INFECTIOUS COMPLICATION OF ANTERIOR CERVICAL SURGERY

We report a 44-year-old woman who developed an atypical retro-oesophag eal abscess 4 years after anterior cervical surgery with fusion (ACSF) . She presented with dysphagia but no fever or definite laboratory sig ns of inflammation. Delayed or chronic dysphagia following Cloward's o peration is usually related to graft displacement. Infection may also, more rarely, be encountered in conjunction with dysphagia, but is typ ically associated with a classical clinical presentation and laborator y results. We recommend that in cases of delayed dysphagia without evi dence of graft migration, the possibility of retropharyngeal infection should be considered, even in the absence of clinical signs or suppor ting laboratory evidence. MRI in this rare delayed complication is non specific but suggestive, and hence represents the imaging modality of choice in such situations.