A clinicostatistical study of fascial space infections of the oral and maxillofacial region

ABSTRACT

Oral and maxillofacial infection is the oldest and most common disease in human history. The infection ranges from the low-grade infection that only requires minimal treatment to the high-grade and life-threatening fascial space infection. In this study, the data on oral and maxillofacial infections were analyzed to aid in the diagnosis and treatment, and to predict the prognosis. This report was based on data from 831 patients with oral and maxillofacial infection (394 males and 437 females) who were hospitalized in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery of Chosun University Dental Hospital from January 1998 to May 2005. The ratio of males to females was 0.91. By age, patients between 60 and 70 years old were the greatest in number (17.1%), while only 5.9% of the patients were between 10 and 20 years old. The most common cause of infection was odontogenic origin (84.4%), followed by post-extraction infection (6.2%), unknown (5.9%), and trauma (3.5%). The most common fascial space involved was the buccal space (39.4%), followed by the canine (20.6%), submandibular (15.9%), pterygomandibular (9.5%), submental (7.6%) and sublingual (2.8%) space. The number of the involved fascial space was one (75.2%), two (19.8%), or more than three (5.0%). In terms of the treatment duration, the hospitalization period of 6 to 10 days was the greatest in number (49.9%). All patients had uneventful recovery without major complication. There are statistically significant correlations between age and treatment period, and the involved space and treatment period, but no correlations between the variables of sex and treatment.