Department of Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, AIMST University, Bedong, Kedah, 08100, Malaysia.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Madha Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, 600069, India.
F1000Res. 2024 Jun 27;11:1511. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.127242.2. eCollection 2022.
Ludwig's angina is a potentially life-threatening disease characterized by diffuse bilateral cellulitis with an odontogenic origin. This unique infection is now rare owing to the antibiotic era. This patient presented to the emergency room with trismus, jaw and neck swelling, mild respiratory distress with tachypnea, hyperthermia, and panic. Clinical examination and radiographic evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of Ludwig's angina. As it is a quickly spreading infection, the patient was taken up for immediate surgical decompression leading to pus drainage, removal of the offending tooth, bacterial culture and sensitivity, and administration of empirical antibiotics. As we had operated promptly, there was no need for emergency airway intervention, and the patient had immediate relief from airway distress. Early accurate diagnosis with conservative surgical decompression, thereby negating the need for airway intervention, was vital to avoiding mortality which is always possible in such an expeditious infection.
路德维希咽峡炎是一种具有潜在生命威胁的疾病，其特征为具有牙原性起源的弥漫性双侧蜂窝织炎。由于抗生素时代的到来，这种独特的感染现在已经很少见了。 这名患者因牙关紧闭、颌颈部肿胀、轻度呼吸窘迫伴呼吸急促、高热和恐慌而到急诊室就诊。临床检查和影像学评估证实了路德维希咽峡炎的诊断。由于这是一种迅速蔓延的感染，患者立即接受了手术减压，以引流脓液、切除致病牙齿、进行细菌培养和药敏试验，并给予经验性抗生素治疗。由于我们及时进行了手术，因此无需进行紧急气道干预，患者的气道窘迫立即得到缓解。 早期准确诊断并进行保守性手术减压，从而避免气道干预的必要性，对于避免这种迅速传播的感染导致的死亡率至关重要。
