title: [Odontogenic mediastinitis. Diagnostics and treatment].
abstract: The aim of our work was to evaluate the diagnostic and treatment of patients with odontogenic mediastinitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The last 10 years (1991-2001) 13 males and 4 females, mean age 43 years, with odontogenic mediastinitis were submitted to surgical treatment. Primary odontogenic abscess occurred in all. Before admission to our clinic, 14 patients were treated at stomatological department. Diagnosis was made by clinical manifestation, roentgenographical features and confirmed by findings at mediastinum tissues during operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients at the admission day underwent broad cervicotomies with transcervical mediastinal drainage. In 5 cases this management was associated with mediastinal drainage by transthoracic approach. For another 5 patients thoracotomies were performed late, the last 7 survived without thoracotomy. Six patient died, mortality rate was 35.2%. The reason of the high mortality rate-delay of transthoracic mediastinal drainage in 5 cases, when transcervical was inadequate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ample cervicotomy, associated with transcervical and transthoracic mediastinal drainage can significantly reduce the mortality rate for odontogenic mediastinitis.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of General Thoracic Surgery, Vilnius University, Zygimantu 3, 2001 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Gintaras
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kiskis
authors.forename: Vygantas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gruslys
authors.forename: Vytautas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jovaisas
authors.forename: Algis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kybartas
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Liubertiene
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Narbutas
authors.forename: Arūnas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zilinskas
authors.forename: Antanas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sucila
authors.forename: Ricardas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Janilionis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000150:complications; D004322:Drainage; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010508:Periodontal Abscess / Q000150:complications*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed