Ludwig's angina: Pediatric case report and literature review

Abstract

Ludwig's angina (LA) is a serious, rapidly progressive cellulitis of the floor of the mouth which involves the submandibular, submaxillary, and sublingual spaces of the face; it is life-threatening if not recognized early and complications such as septicemia and asphyxia caused by expanding edema of soft tissues of the neck may occur. A literature review identified 35 pediatric cases of LA with a 14% mortality rate. It occurs predominantly in immunocompetent children with an odontogenic source of infection in a third and unknown source of infection in a third of cases. Many departments may have limited experience of the disease because of its rare occurrence. Hence, it is important to recognize LA in the earlier stages of the disease. We here present a case of huge LA in a 6-month-old male child with a very short history.