An unusual cause of stridor: retropharyngeal cold abscess.

A 15-month-old female presented with a large swelling on the left lateral aspect of the neck and respiratory distress, and stridor due to incomplete obstruction of the upper airway. A lateral X-ray film and computerized tomography scan of the cervical spine showed a retropharyngeal abscess without vertebral involvement. Aspiration and contrast revealed it to be a bilobed tubercular abscess. Planned external drainage was done after 10 days under anti-tubercular drugs.