Subperiosteal Abscess following tooth infection in early childhood: a case report

Medial Subperiosteal Abscess is a rare but serious life-threatening complication of orbital cellulitis. Although it often results from a sinus infection, its association with odontogenic infection is rare and underreported. This article highlights the importance of recognizing dental origins in orbital infections to avoid delays in treatment.

This is a case of a 6-year-old female who presented with a rare Medial Subperiosteal Abscess due to an odontogenic infection. Symptoms began with toothache, headache, and progressive swelling around the right eye, which persisted despite initial antibiotic therapy. A CT scan revealed a Medial Subperiosteal Abscess that required urgent surgical intervention using the modified Lynch approach, followed by odontogenic surgery and antrostomy to extract the infected teeth and remove the antral polyps.

This case demonstrates one of the rare complications of dental infections in a paediatric patient, which highlights the importance of early diagnosis and prompt surgical intervention, as well as comprehensive multidisciplinary care, in order to prevent irreversible complications such as vision loss in paediatric orbital infections secondary to dental origin.