RESUMO
The purpose of this study is to determine the value of serum concentration of C-reactive protein(CRP) in comparison with ESR and leukocyte as the tools for diagnosis and follow-up study of infection. For this study, thirty-one patients with head and neck infection and thirty-two patients performed the orthognathic surgery were selected for experimental and control groups each other. we analyzed the blood sample daily to measure CRP, ESR and leukocytosis. The results of this study are as the following : 1. Serum C-Reactive Protein levels in the experimental group were higher than control group and the pattern of CRP changes contin-ued to decline in both groups(P<0.001). 2. ESR changes in both groups were scattered without any special pattern. 3. Correlation between CRP and Leukocyte was higher than others(r=0.664, P<0.01). 4. In the Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC) Curve of experimental group, rapid increase of CRP curve and Area under the curve(AUC) value, 0.774, indicate the high accuracy of estimation. 5. In experimental group, sensitivity of CRP, ESR, and Leukocytosis on recovery day were 83%, 17% and 71%. Based on the results of this study, we could conclude that determination of CRP is more useful method to diagnosis and follow-up study of infection than other commonly used variables in oral and maxillofacial region.