Dental disease masquerading as suppurative lesions of the neck

Esthetic Improvement of a Nasolabial Cutaneous Sinus Tract

A cutaneous sinus tract of dental origin is relatively uncommon and may easily be misdiagnosed, owing to its uncommon occurrence and absence of dental symptoms. Such a lesion continues to be a diagnostic dilemma. The case described here presented a nasolabial cutaneous sinus tract of dental origin that was treated by a surgical approach with an excellent esthetic improvement.

Cutaneous neck lesion of occult odontogenic origin: search for the tooth

The differential diagnosis for inflammatory neck swellings is vast. A swelling of dental origin should be considered because, while rare, they mimic more common causes of neck lumps. We report the case involving a recurrent submandibular swelling in a young female patient that was presumed to be an epidermoid cyst by her general medical practitioner. After 6 months of unsuccessful treatment in the community, an odontogenic source was identified and treated successfully following referral to a local Oral and Maxillofacial department.

Managing the Cutaneous Sinus Tract of Dental Origine

BACKGROUND:

Draining cutaneous sinus tract in chin area may be caused by chronic periapical dental infections. Misdiagnosis of these lesions usually leads to destructive invasive treatment of the sinus tract that is not correct and curative.

CASE REPORT:

A 31-year-old male patient referred to us with a chronically draining lesion on his chin. The lesion previously was misdiagnosed by medical doctors and had undergone two times surgery with a focus on the skin lesion and had received antibiotic therapy for a prolonged period of time. After clinical and radiologic examination the dental origin of the lesion was evident and proper endodontic and surgical treatment was performed. Three months later, after the treatment, the lesion showed total healing and reoccurrence occurred.

CONCLUSION:

The key to successful treatment of cutaneous sinus tract of dental origin must be in appropriate communication between the dentist and the physician in order to achieve correct diagnosis and therapy in such cases.

Review article: Maxillofacial emergencies: oral pain and odontogenic infections

Oral pain and odontogenic infections are common reasons for patients to present to EDs and general medical practice in Australia. Although most odontogenic infections can be managed on an outpatient basis, because of their proximity to the airway, infections in this region can be life threatening, requiring urgent surgical intervention and ICU management. This article focuses on the emergency assessment, triage and non-specialist management of oral pain and odontogenic infections.

Conservative management of persistent facial cutaneous sinus tract with a dental origin

Facial and cervical area sinus tracts can be odontogenic or non-odontogenic, and so clinicians should be aware that lesions with a dental origin can be confused with dermatological lesions. We describe three cases of cutaneous lesions of dental origin that were initially misdiagnosed as being dermatological in origin. Multiple unsuccessful treatments were attempted but the lesions failed to heal. However, conservative endodontic intervention resulted in complete resolution of the causative periapical lesions within a short period, making surgery unnecessary. Dental aetiology, as part of a differential diagnosis, must be considered in such oro-facial lesions.

Cutaneous sinus tract of dental origin in children-a report of 28 new cases

Little is known about the characteristics of cutaneous sinus tract (CST) of dental origin in children. 28 cases of CST of dental origin in children were evaluated. Age, sex, site of skin lesion, duration until diagnosis, teeth involved, etiology, treatment, and outcome were recorded. The last dental care visit was also recorded. The mean age was 10.25 years (range 4-16). The male to female ratio was 1:1.74. The mandibular-submandibular area was the most common site of skin lesions. The mandibular first molar was the most involved tooth, followed by the mandibular incisor. Caries was the most common etiology. The mean duration of lesions until correct diagnosis was 6.5 months (range 0.3-12 mos). The treatment was root canal therapy or extraction. After appropriate dental treatment, CSTs resolve rapidly. Surgical revision of the scars were indicated in eight (29%) patients, to provide better cosmetic results. In these patients, the duration of lesions were longer. Preventive dental care, as indicated by last dental care visit, was poor. CST in children is different from that in adults in terms of sites of skin lesions, duration of lesions, and involved tooth and similar to that in adults in terms of etiology and treatment modality. Early treatment of the dental infection may cause healing of the cutaneous lesion spontaneously, without a scar.

Clinicopathological profile and surgical results of nonhealing sinuses and fistulous tracts of the head and neck region

PURPOSE

The sinus and fistulous tracts in the head and neck region often pose a challenge to the surgeon, and are usually misdiagnosed, resulting in treatment failure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study included 117 patients who presented to the Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of General Surgery, and Department of Dermatology of the Sheri-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Medical College (Srinagar, India) over a period of 7 years. All 117 patients were analyzed using clinical methods, radiologic studies, and laboratory investigations.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 30 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 3:2. A dental origin was noticed in 55% of these tracts, followed by tracts originating from infected implants or bone grafts (20%) and chronic osteomyelitis (11%). Eighty percent of these tracts had a mandibular origin (and from the anterior part) (53%). Maxillary tracts arose mostly from the posterior part of the bone (70%). The commonest presenting symptom was discharge from a nonhealing wound. Anterior mandibular tracts were straight and short (84%), whereas posterior mandibular tracts were mostly long and curved (75%). Misdiagnosed and mismanaged sinuses and fistulas were mostly of odontogenic origin (70%). Radiologic studies were the most useful diagnostic tools in tracts related to dental pathology, infected implants/bone grafts, and chronic osteomyelitis. Proper treatment of basic pathology was followed by complete healing in 96% of patients.

CONCLUSION

All patients with sinus or fistulous tracts in the head and neck region should be properly assessed and evaluated for proper diagnosis and treatment, to prevent the recurrence and chronicity of these lesions.

Cutaneous draining sinus tract of odontogenic origin: unusual presentation of a challenging diagnosis

A 44-year-old woman presented with a chronically draining lesion on her cheek just lateral to the nasofacial sulcus. The lesion was refractory to treatment with oral antibiotics. Physical examination revealed poor dentition, and a panoramic radiograph demonstrated periapical abscesses in the maxillary right lateral incisor and canine. A diagnosis of cutaneous fistula of odontogenic origin was made, and the patient was treated with tooth extraction. The cutaneous fistula subsequently resolved. Intraoral examinations and radiographs are critical for making the diagnosis of cutaneous draining sinus tract of odontogenic origin. Many patients undergo unnecessary surgical therapies before having the correct diagnosis made, but root canal therapy or surgical extraction is the treatment of choice. A dental origin must be considered for any chronically draining sinus of the face or neck.

Diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous facial sinus tracts of dental origin

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous draining sinus tracts of dental origin often are a diagnostic challenge. A delay in correctly diagnosing these types of lesions can result in ineffective and inappropriate treatment.

CASE DESCRIPTION

The authors present five cases of facial lesions that were initially misdiagnosed as lesions of nonodontogenic origin. The correct diagnosis in each case was cutaneous sinus tract secondary to pulpal necrosis and suppurative apical periodontitis. All facial sinus tracts resolved after the patients received nonsurgical root canal therapy.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

As patients with cutaneous facial sinus tracts of dental origin often do not have obvious dental symptoms, possible dental etiology may be overlooked. Early correct diagnosis and treatment of these lesions can help prevent unnecessary and ineffective antibiotic therapy or surgical treatment.

Patent odontogenic sinus tract draining to the midline of the submental region: report of a case

We report a case of a 65-year-old woman with a cutaneous sinus tract located on the midline of the submental region secondary to a periapical abscess of the right lateral mandibular incisor. The lesion was nodulocystic and chronically drained purulent fluid. Previous topical and systemic treatments were uneffective. Radiologic examination of the mandible demonstrated diffuse radiolucency involving the apices of four affected incisors. A further radiologic sinogram revealed both the exact origin and the high grade patency of the fistolous tract. Appropriate conservative endodontic therapy led to quick resolution of the sinus tract within sixteen days. In the presence of a single chronic suppurative or nodulocystic lesion of the face, it is always useful to perform a radiologic evaluation of the maxillary and mandibular regions to promptly exclude a possible odontogenic background.

Skin and bones. II

Skin disorders in which a radiograph may detect associated bony changes or abnormalities of calcification are discussed. They are grouped into eight categories: (1) inherited diseases (e.g., alkaptonuria, neurofibromatosis); (2) congenital disorders (e.g., Sturge-Weber and Proteus syndromes); (3) inflammatory conditions (e.g., dermatomyositis, sarcoidosis); (4) infections (e.g., dental sinus, syphilis); (5) neoplasias (e.g., histiocytosis, mastocytosis); (6) drug- and environment-induced (e.g., acroosteolysis, retinoid toxicity); (7) calcinosis cutis; and (8) osteoma cutis. The first part of this review, published in the August 1991 issue of this JOURNAL, dealt with the first two categories; part II discusses categories 3 through 8.

Cutaneous sinus tracts of dental etiology

Intermittently draining cutaneous sinus tracts in the area of the face and neck may be caused by chronic dental infection. Diagnosis of the cause may be challenging but is the key to successful therapy. Two cases of these uncommon lesions are presented; one involved a mandibular molar and the other a mandibular incisor. Nonsurgical endodontic treatment was performed. Healing was rapid and uneventful.

Cutaneous draining sinus tract: an odontogenic etiology

Although the most common cause of the intermittently suppurating cutaneous sinus tract in the face and neck area is chronic dental infection, chronic draining sinus tracts of the face and neck continue to be a diagnostic challenge. The attending clinician must look carefully for a potential odontogenic infection; chronicity, lasting for weeks, months, and even years and the recognition of the lesion as a sinus tract are keys to making the correct diagnosis. Diagnostic errors can result in multiple surgical excisions and biopsies, long-term antibiotic therapy, and even radiation therapy or electrodesiccation. A review of 137 cases of cutaneous draining sinus tracts from the literature is presented, and four cases are reported. Conservative, nonsurgical root canal therapy is recommended as the first choice of treatment.