[Odontogenic cervical-facial cellulitis: report of 87 cases]

Cervical-facial cellulitis are infections of the cellular fatty spaces of the face and neck with a tendency towards locoregional extension, septic and thromboembolic complications that can affect the patient's vital and/or functional prognosis. The management is multidisciplinary including a medical component, surgical drainage associated with the treatment of the causal tooth. This is a retrospective study including 87 cases of odontogenic head and neck cellulitis hospitalized in the ENT and head and neck surgery department at Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir hospital over a period of 4 years between January 2017 and December 2020. The study included 48 women and 39 men. The most affected age group was young adults (54 %). The main contributing factors were poor oral hygiene (76 %), tobacco (41 %) and alcohol (19 %). Anti-inflammatory medicines intake was found in 31 % of cases. The average consultation time was 5 days. The main reason for consultation was painful head and neck swelling associated with trismus (70 %) and fever (52 %). The cervical-facial scan was performed in 93 % of patients. It revealed suppurative cellulitis (64 %), extension to upper aerodigestive ways (20 %), compression of upper aero-digestive tract (11,5 %), Lemierre syndrome (4,6 %) and gangrenous cellulitis with mediastinal extension (1,1 %). All patients received large spectrum antibiotic, associated in 25 % of cases with surgical drainage. Treatment of the dental cause was performed in all patients. The evolution was favourable in 98,9 % of cases. There is only one death due to a septic shock (1,1 %), which is consistent with most of the results reported in the literature. Head and neck cellulitis can affect the functional and vital prognosis of the patient in the absence of rapid and adequate management. The treatment remains primarily preventive.