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Case Reports
. 2025 Feb 14;25(1):240.
doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-05575-5.

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

Lara Ibrahim Ghannam #  1   2 , Rama Ahmad Abu Doush #  3 , Rita Kifah Yacoub #  4 , Zeina Amro  5 , Jafer Ayyesh  6
Affiliations
Case Reports

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

Lara Ibrahim Ghannam et al. BMC Oral Health. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: 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.

Case presentation: 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.

Conclusion: 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.

Keywords: Modified lynch approach; Orbital cellulitis; Subperiosteal Abscess.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study is exempt from ethical approval at our hospital. Consent for publication: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient’s parents for publication of this case report and any accompanying images. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Coronal (a), sagittal (b), and axial (c and d) computed tomography scan views revealing medial subperiosteal abscess with complete opacification of all the right paranasal sinuses
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Clinical presentation of the patient showing periorbital swelling and erythema
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Intra-operative photographs showing the surgical incision using the modified Lynch approach (a), and penrose drain was placed to facilitate ongoing drainage (b)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Intra-operative photographs showing the removal of antral polyps and the extraction of the right deciduous molars using the Caldwell-Luc technique (a and b)
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Follow-up images showing full recovery (a, b and c). (d) Eight-months follow-up after the operation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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