[Infection after dental intervention. Iatrogenic or general medical cause? Case report]

Whenever a dentist is dealing with abscess formation in the oral and maxillofacial region, it is mostly from dental origins. However, sometimes uncommon (co-)factors are present and responsible for major complications. Many general conditions or medications can significantly influence the course of an inflammation. It might spread faster and wider and also be resistant to "correct" therapy. This case report should raise awareness about general conditions supporting inflammation and demonstrate the importance of interdisciplinary treatment in these situations. A 76-year-old patient was referred to the maxillofacial surgery clinic after extraction of two teeth resulted in therapy-resistant painful swelling. Her dentist already had initiated "standard" therapy including Ponstan® (mefenamic acid) and Clamoxyl® (amoxicillin) without success. Initial blood testing came back with severe agranulocytosis. Immediately all potentially myelosuppressing drugs were stopped while myelosupporting drugs were prescribed. Under close interdisciplinary treatment conditions, healing was then uneventful without the necessity of surgical intervention. The challenge in inflammation treatment is to identify patients with uncommonly severe, fast-progressing, or therapy-resistant disease as early as possible. Further examination including blood workup for several medical parameters is indispensable in those patients.