Manish Kumar Khazane*

Private Practitioner, BDS, MDS (Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics), Dr Khazane Dental Clinic, Hyderabad-500264, India

*Corresponding Author: Manish Kumar Khazane, Private Practitioner, BDS, MDS (Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics), Dr Khazane Dental Clinic, Hyderabad-500264, India.

Received: March 24, 2025; Published: April 03, 2025

Abstract

Temporal swelling is often misdiagnosed as temporal arteritis, especially when the swelling presents in the temporal region. However, odontogenic infections, particularly those resulting from incomplete or faulty root canal treatment, can also cause swelling in this unusual location. This case study describes a 58-year-old male patient who presented with temporal swelling and pain initially suspected to be temporal arteritis. A detailed dental history revealed a history of root canal treatment performed two years ago on the affected upper maxillary molar. Radiographic and CBCT imaging confirmed underfilling in the mesial root canal and associated peri-apical changes. The patient underwent re-root canal therapy, including proper cleaning, shaping, and disinfection of the root canal, with the use of calcium hydroxide as an intra-canal medicament. Antibiotics were administered, and the patient showed significant improvement, with resolution of the temporal swelling. This case emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between odontogenic and systemic causes of facial and temporal swelling and highlights how incomplete root canal treatment can lead to severe complications, such as facial space infections. It further stresses the significance of thorough and well-executed endodontic procedures to prevent such complications.

Keywords: Temporal Swelling; Temporal Arteritis; Odontogenic Infection; Root Canal Treatment; Incomplete Root Canal Filling; Peri-apical Infection; Cone-beam Computed Tomography (CBCT); Calcium Hydroxide; Re-root Canal Therapy; Facial Space Infections; Apical periodontitis; Endodontic retreatment

References

1. Siqueira JF., et al. “Mechanisms of pathogenesis in endodontic infections”. Journal of Endodontics5 (2014): 631-639.
2. Bender IB. “Failure of the root canal treatment: Diagnosis and treatment”. Journal of the American Dental Association2 (2000): 241-246.
3. Siqueira JF and Rôças IN. “Pathogenesis of endodontic infections”. Endodontic Topics1 (2008): 1-26.
4. Salvarani C., et al. “Giant cell arteritis and other forms of vasculitis”. The Lancet10041 (2017): 413-423.
5. Graham E M., et al. “Temporal arteritis: Current trends in diagnosis and management”. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America3 (2019): 465-481.
6. Nair PNR. “Pathogenesis of apical periodontitis and the dental root canal system”. Critical Reviews in Oral Biology and Medicine6 (2006): 311-330.

Citation

Citation: Manish Kumar Khazane., et al. “Case Study: Temporal Swelling Misdiagnosed as Temporal Arteritis Due to Faulty Root Canal Treatment in Upper Maxillary Molar".Acta Scientific Dental Sciences 9.5 (2025): 09-12.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Manish Kumar Khazane., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.