Background: Acute epiglottitis in adults is a rare, potentially life-threatening condition caused by a bacterial infection in the epiglottis. Typical symptoms are fever, sore throat, and respiratory distress caused by upper airway obstruction. Proper treatment is needed for a good outcome.
Case presentation: We here present a 54-year-old female patient with acute epiglottitis. Her airway was secured by endotracheal intubation and she received antimicrobial therapy. She developed an abscess around the epiglottis that needed surgical drainage and tracheotomy. However, she fully recovered after nine days in hospital.
Interpretation: Acute epiglottitis in adults is a potentially life-threatening condition. The prognosis is good with proper treatment including selective airway intervention, antimicrobial therapy, and close monitoring.