Background:

Infective and acute inflammatory conditions of the head and neck are a common presentation both in a community setting and to the emergency department. These are often imaged not only to look for the cause and the extent of the disease but also their complications.

Most need immediate clinical attention as these can potentially be life-threatening. Thus, it is important for the reporting radiologist to be familiar with these conditions and clearly communicate with the referrers the extent of the disease and complications to enable appropriate patient management.

CT is the first-line imaging modality for infectious and inflammatory conditions of the head and neck in the emergency setting. MRI is used as a secondary modality of choice.