Management of rapidly progressing periopical pathologies: a case report

Dentists often treat swellings from odontogenic periapical pathologies. One management option involves immediate treatment with antibiotics, followed by surgical intervention. We report a clinical case in which an 8-year-old patient sought care for such a lesion and received pharmacological therapy alone. The lesion expanded into multiple facial spaces approximating the ocular organ and other vital cranial structures. Eventual treatment of the lesion required a CT-scan, followed by an intubated general anesthetic, incision and drainage, extraction of the involved dentition and an overnight hospital admission. This case report is meant to highlight appropriate courses of action in management of rapidly progressing periapical pathologies.