{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T09:20:34Z","timestamp":1783588834310,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":8,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783555200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JPM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Migrated foreign bodies in the prevertebral region represent a rare but potentially serious condition. This case underscores the importance of thorough visual and digital intraoperative exploration for successful foreign body retrieval and highlights the potential diagnostic and surgical challenges associated with migrated foreign bodies in the cervical region. Case report: A 77-year-old female patient presented with dysphagia following the intake of an Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Due to hemodynamic instability and laboratory findings that indicated multiple organ failure, a computed tomography (CT) scan was performed, which revealed a left-sided prevertebral abscess with gas collections. Because of persistently elevated and fluctuating inflammatory markers, multiple CT scans were performed, which showed an obliquely oriented, wire-like tubular structure approximately 30 mm in length, 5 mm in width and 1 mm in diameter in the prevertebral region of the previous abscess cavity. Eventually, after three surgical interventions\u2014one transoral and two transcervical approaches\u2014the foreign body could be identified and removed. Afterwards, the patient\u2019s inflammatory markers decreased and her dysphagia resolved. Conclusions: This case demonstrates that early diagnosis and timely removal of foreign bodies in the cervical space are essential to prevent complications such as retropharyngeal abscess formation or mediastinitis. A combination of careful clinical examination, endoscopic evaluation, and cross-sectional imaging\u2014particularly CT scan\u2014is crucial for accurate localization. Finally, this report highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for migrated foreign bodies in patients presenting with persistent symptoms or unexplained cervical infections following suspected foreign body ingestion.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm16070370","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T08:50:56Z","timestamp":1783587056000},"page":"370","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevertebral Abscess Revealing a Rare Foreign Body: A Case Report"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-9019-3260","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Theresa","family":"Mally","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kepler University Hospital, 4020 Linz, Austria"},{"name":"Medical Faculty, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4020 Linz, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7740-3623","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nina","family":"Rubicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kepler University Hospital, 4020 Linz, Austria"},{"name":"Medical Faculty, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4020 Linz, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paul Martin","family":"Zwittag","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kepler University Hospital, 4020 Linz, Austria"},{"name":"Medical Faculty, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4020 Linz, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103390","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amjoto.2022.103390","article-title":"Migratory Pharyngeal Foreign Bodies and Related Complications: Analysis of 20 Cases","volume":"43","author":"Chen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am. J. Otolaryngol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4044","DOI":"10.1016\/j.asjsur.2023.04.037","article-title":"An Upward Migratory Parapharyngeal Foreign Body from Hypopharynx","volume":"46","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Asian J. Surg."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104778","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amjoto.2025.104778","article-title":"Comparing Transoral and Transcervical Approaches for Retropharyngeal and Parapharyngeal Abscesses: Postoperative Outcomes and Complications","volume":"47","author":"Nguyen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Am. J. Otolaryngol."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.11604\/pamj.2014.19.125.5334","article-title":"Retropharyngeal Abscess Revealing a Migrant Foreign Body Complicated by Mediastinitis: A Case Report","volume":"19","author":"Ziad","year":"2014","journal-title":"Pan Afr. Med. J."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Esposito, S., De Guido, C., Pappalardo, M., Laudisio, S., Meccariello, G., Capoferri, G., Rahman, S., Vicini, C., and Principi, N. (2022). Retropharyngeal, Parapharyngeal and Peritonsillar Abscesses. Children, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/children9050618"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"600","DOI":"10.1177\/014556130608500913","article-title":"Perforating and Migrating Pharyngoesophageal Foreign Bodies: A Series of 5 Patients","volume":"85","author":"Valvoda","year":"2006","journal-title":"Ear Nose Throat J."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pinto, A., Capasso, R., and Romano, L. (2014). Plain Film and MDCT Assessment of Neck Foreign Bodies. Imaging of Foreign Bodies, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-88-470-5406-6"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1080\/03009730802602455","article-title":"Imaging Features of Foreign Body Granuloma in the Lower Extremities Mimicking a Soft Tissue Neoplasm","volume":"114","author":"Ando","year":"2009","journal-title":"Ups. J. Med. Sci."}],"container-title":["Journal of Personalized Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2075-4426\/16\/7\/370\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T09:09:52Z","timestamp":1783588192000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2075-4426\/16\/7\/370"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]]},"references-count":8,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]}},"alternative-id":["jpm16070370"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jpm16070370","relation":{},"ISSN":["2075-4426"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2075-4426","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]]}}}