Draining skin lesions of dental origin: the path of spread of chronic odontogenic infection.

Draining skin lesions in the face are a common problem in head and neck surgery. The differential diagnosis includes various types of skin infection as well as infected tumor. Often overlooked is the possibility of a chronically infected tooth. The patients in this report illustrate cutaneous drainage in five locations from different teeth. The anatomic basis for these drainage tracts and the diagnostic workup have been described. We advise that these patients have a dental evaluation.