Study Groups Patient Demographics
A total of 937 patients presented to hospital from January 1, 2019 to
December 31, 2019 with a chief complaint of “neck swelling/pain” (n =
283), “sore throat” (n = 472), or “difficulty swallowing” (n = 182).
Of those patients, a total of 43 (4.6%) were diagnosed with a PTA by
either clinical history and physical exam alone, or with the adjunct of
a CT scan, and therefore included in this study [Table 1]. Of those
patients diagnosed with a PTA, 19 patients were included in the CT scan
group, while 24 were in the no CT scan group. Mean patient age was 39
and 35, respectively. 63% of those in the CT scan group were male,
while 79% of patients in the no CT scan group were male. There were no
statistically significant differences between the groups regarding their
chief complaint (neck pain/swelling, sore throat, or dysphagia), nor was
there a statistically significant difference in the rate of previous
PTAs between groups.