Sonika Kotwal, Vipan Gupta, Manpreet Singh Nanda, Shenny Bhatia, Deepika Sharma, Sushumna Yadav, Pheiroijam Romibala and Pooja Thakur*

Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College and Hospital, India

*Corresponding Author: Pooja Thakur, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College and Hospital, India.

Received: February 22, 2022; Published: March 24, 2022

Abstract

Cervical necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) is an uncommon and aggressive deep neck infection, is potentially life threatening causing rapid destruction of muscles, fascia and subcutaneous fat. It clinically mimics some more benign infections (cellulitis) in its early stages. Owing to its significant mortality, it is imperative to have an early and definitive diagnosis, aided by high index of clinical suspicion, laboratory indices and radiology.

Aim: Owing to its rarity, main aim of this series is to present our clinical experience of CNF aiming to set a standard protocol for prompt diagnosis and management.

Materials and Methods: A total of 5 patients presented to ENT Department with Cervical necrotizing fasciitis from December 2011 to December 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. In this series (n = 5) of odontogenic CNF, all cases were diagnosed on the basis of clinical features, Laboratory risk indicator for necrotising fasciitis (LRINEC) score and Computed Tomography (CT) scan.

Results: Majority of cases were males (4) with co-morbidities (diabetes, hepatitis, anaemia). Although mixed flora was identified on culture and sensitivity, one had Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. LRINEC score was correlating with the severity of infection and coordinated with Laboratory risk indicator for necrotising fasciitis - Orocervical region (LRINEC-OC) score.

Conclusion: Odontogenic infections are commonly seen but their progression to cervical necrotizing fasciitis is rare with subtle clinical findings, leading to delay in the diagnosis and management. So, ancillary diagnostic indices including LRINEC and LRINEC-OC scores should be included in the protocol.

Keywords: Cervical Necrotizing Fasciitis; Necrotizing Fasciitis; Odontogenic Necrotizing Fasciitis; LRINEC; LRINEC-OC

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Citation

Citation: Pooja Thakur., et al. “Odontogenic Cervical Necrotizing Fasciitis - A Case series with Review of literature".Acta Scientific Otolaryngology 4.4 (2022): 52-57.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2022 Pooja Thakur., 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.