CASE REPORT   

European Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 2021 December;5(3):140-2

DOI: 10.23736/S2532-3466.21.00251-4

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Dysphagia after incision and drainage in the bilateral neck caused by dental infection: a case report and review of literature

Yasmine COLL ^{1, 2} ✉, Philippe VAN CAMP ³, Ian HOLLAND ^{1, 2}

¹ Crosshouse Hospital, Ayrshire, Scotland; ² Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland; ³ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, St. Blasius Hospital, Dendermonde, Belgium

Odontogenic infections can often be managed with a simple approach; however, the complexity of certain cases can require more invasive treatment and a multidisciplinary team approach. This case follows a 36-year-old male diagnosed with an extensive parapharyngeal swelling caused by grossly carious lower left second and third molar teeth. The patient underwent incision and drainage of the infected dental spaces but had to have multiple washouts as clinically the patient was not improving. Four antibiotics were administered throughout his stay, and the patient had a nasogastric tube in situ for 80 days in total due to dysphagia. It is theorized this was a result of hypoglossal nerve damage from a combination of the surgical procedure and oropharyngeal manipulation during the general anesthetic process.

KEY WORDS: Surgical wound; Drainage; Infections