title: Submasseteric Infection: A Rare, Deep Space Cheek Infection Causing Trismus.
abstract: Submasseteric space infections are rare at any age but particularly so in primary school children. The origin of the infection is usually odontogenic, from pericoronitis in a third molar. Submasseteric inflammation is a deep facial space inflammation, often progressing to mature abscess, and usually misdiagnosed as staphylococcal or streptococcal lymphadenitis or pyogenic parotitis. The hallmark of a masticatory space infection is trismus. The cardinal signs of this infection include a firm mass in the body of the masseter muscle with overlying cellulitis with trismus.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Pediatrics, Inova Children's Hospital; and †Department of Surgery, Section on Otolaryngology, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA.
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Bahadori
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Willis
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008406:Masseter Muscle; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes; D014313:Trismus / Q000382:microbiology*