Ludwig's angina following herpetic gingivostomatitis in a toddler with tetralogy of Fallot.
Ludwig's angina is a rare but potentially lethal cellulitis of the submandibular space that occurs most often in young adults with predisposing odontogenic infection. In contrast to adult cases, most children with Ludwig's angina have no initiating factor. We report a case of Ludwig's angina in a 15-month-old boy which developed after an episode of herpetic gingivostomatitis. Under close monitoring of respiratory status, the condition was successfully managed with antibiotic treatment. This case illustrates that Ludwig's angina can develop in association with herpetic gingivostomatitis, which is a common and usually self-limited disease in pediatric patients. Prompt recognition and aggressive management of this rare and severe secondary bacterial infection are the keys to avoiding unnecessary morbidity and mortality.
Chen
Chih-Jung
CJ
Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Huang
Yhu-Chering
YC
Lin
Tzou-Yien
TY
D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008158:Ludwig's Angina / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D013283:Stomatitis, Herpetic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000150:complications