CLINICAL AND PARACLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CLASSIFICATION OF MAXILLOFACIAL INFECTIONS ORIGINATING FROM MANDIBULAR MOLARS
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Maxillofacial infections originating from mandibular molars often progress rapidly and may spread extensively. Describing the clinical and paraclinical characteristics is essential for appropriate management. Objectives: To describe the clinical and paraclinical characteristics and to classify the severity of maxillofacial infections caused by mandibular molars. Materials and methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 30 hospitalized patients diagnosed with maxillofacial infections secondary to mandibular molars from June 2025 to January 2026 at Tay Nguyen Regional General Hospital, Dak Lak. Variables included clinical features, hematological findings, microbiological results, imaging characteristics, and classification of infection severity. Results: A total of 30 patients were included, with a mean age of 50.6 ± 17.4 years, males and females were equally represented. Facial asymmetry was observed in 93.3% of cases and trismus in 46.7%, with no significant sex differences in clinical symptoms (p > 0.05). Females had a longer duration of symptoms than males (11.7 ± 5.3 vs. 8.9 ± 4.6 days, p = 0.048). The mean white blood cell count was 14.5 ± 5.1 G/L, with leukocytosis present in 86.7% of patients. Although the mean white blood cell count was higher in males than in females (15.8 ± 5.0 vs. 13.2 ± 4.9 G/L), the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.167). Ultrasound findings most commonly showed abscess formation (53.3%), with no significant sex differences in imaging characteristics. Infection classification revealed that diffuse cellulitis accounted for 53.3% of cases, deep localized infection for 40.0%, and superficial localized infection for 6.7%. The proportion of diffuse infection was higher in males than in females (60.0% vs. 46.7%), but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.447). Conclusion: Maxillofacial infections caused by mandibular molars were predominantly diffuse and frequently associated with leukocytosis. No statistically significant sex-related differences were observed in infection severity or paraclinical characteristics, except for a longer duration of symptoms in females.
Keywords
Maxillofacial infection, mandibular molars, clinical characteristics, subclinical findings, cellulitis
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