title: Surgical treatment of bifid mental nerve damaged by root canal therapy. A case report.
abstract: This article describes the successful surgical treatment of a case of damage to the inferior alveolar nerve, due to inadvertent extrusion of endodontic material into the mandibular canal. The accident was favoured by an anatomical variant of the nerve canal ending with a double mental foramen, already described in the literature. The complex surgical operation of uncertain outcome was dictated by neuralgia refractory to medical treatment, rather than hypoesthesia associated with compression of the nerve trunk. Problems related to loss of sensitivity and possible causes of nerve damage (traumatic, pathological and iatrogenic) are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Oral Pathology Unit, Department of Odontostomatology, Policlinic Santa Maria de Le Scotte, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. lorenzinig@unisi.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lorenzini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viviano
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Vece
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parrini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Autelitano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Biglioli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D061221:Trigeminal Nerve Injuries