title: Bilateral Blindness in a Patient With Temporal Arteritis After Wisdom Tooth Extraction.
abstract: A 78-year-old woman reported pain in her right hemiface (middle and upper portions) together with nuchal headache, some days after upper right wisdom tooth extraction. She was treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by her dentist. Three weeks later, a localized headache over her right superficial temporal artery was reported, and progressive bilateral blindness appeared. A biopsy showed a late stage of temporal arteritis. All the symptoms disappeared following corticosteroid treatment, except blindness. The possible complications linking oral bacteria and extraoral infections and diseases should always be attentively considered during the clinical management of fragile patients.
authors: *Functional Anatomy Research Center, Laboratorio di Anatomia Funzionale dell'Apparato Stomatognatico, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Milano; SST Dental Clinic, Segrate (MI) †Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche ed Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano; Oral Surgery and Implantology University of Milan School of Dentistry UOC Maxillofacial Surgery and Odontostomatology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico ‡Functional Anatomy Research Center, Laboratorio di Anatomia Funzionale dell'Apparato Stomatognatico, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors: Gianluca Martino
authors: GM
authors: Tartaglia
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Maiorana
authors: Chiarella
authors: C
authors: Sforza
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology*; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery*; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones