Presentation
Left-sided painful neck swelling with left ear discharge for the last few days.
Patient Data
There is a collection involving left sternocleidomastoid muscle starting from cranial end at mastoid process and reaching to the distal sternal end. Approximate size is 110 x 14 x 10 mm and volume of 8 cc. The rest of the sternocleidomastoid muscles fibers show edema. There is no extension of the collection outside the muscle in the neck region. An erosion could not be localized in the mastoid process. There is no significant cervical lymphadenopapthy. The rest of the neck examination was normal.
Case Discussion
A female presented with left-sided painful neck swelling and left ear discharge. Ultrasound shows an abscess limited to the sternocleidomastoid muscle without cervical lymphadenopathy.
CT scan was advised to look for mastoiditis. Surgery revealed sternocleidomastoid muscle abscess, collection in the external auditory canal, and normal mastoid.