van Brummelen S E, Melles D, van der Eerden M
Havenziekenhuis, afd. Longziekten, Rotterdam.
Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2017;161:D1590.
An odontogenic cause of a lung abscess can easily be overlooked.
A 61-year-old man presented at the emergency department with a productive cough and dyspnoea. He was admitted to the pulmonary ward with a suspected odontogenic lung abscess. A thorax CT scan confirmed the diagnosis 'lung abscess', following which the dental surgeon confirmed that the lung abscess probably had an odontogenic cause. The patient made a full recovery following a 6-week course of antibiotics, and he received extensive dental treatment.
Poor oral hygiene can be a cause of a lung abscess. A patient with a lung abscess can be treated successfully with a 6-week course of antibiotics; however, if the odontogenic cause is not recognised the abscess can recur.
