MARTINI, Marcelo Zillo    MIGLIARI, Dante Antonio. Epidemiology of maxillofacial infections treated in a public hospital in the city of Sao Paulo. Rev. Assoc. Paul. Cir. Dent. []. 2012, 66, 1, pp. 66-73. ISSN 0004-5276.

Maxillofacial infections are severe clinical processes of relative occurrence characterized by a rapid spreading of the infection into the neighboring tissues and to the fascial spaces of the head and neck region. Its cause is predominantly odontogenic. This study aimed to assess, retrospectively, data concern to the causes, clinical characteristics, clinical manifestations and treatment efficacy in 42 in-patients with maxillofacial infection at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Hospital Tatuapé, São Paulo, from March 2005 to February 2006. The odontogenic infections (mainly the periapical infections) accounted for 83.3% of the maxillofacial infections. The most common clinical manifestations were exuberant edema (97.6%), trismus (52.4%) and prostration (47.6%). Uncontrolled diabetic patients showed a longer-recovering period at the hospital when compared with that of nondiabetic patients (P = 0.001). In 76.2% of the cases, the treatment proceeding was surgical drainage coupled with antibiotic intravenous therapy and cause resolution. Summarizing the main findings, this study showed that maxillofacial infections occurred mostly in young-adults, with the odontogenic infections being their principal cause. The providing treatment was effective in the great majority of the cases.

: epidemiology; focal infection, dental; oral surgical procedures; advanced treatment; abscess.