Ricerc@Sapienza

Odontogenic abscesses are among the most common diseases of the oral and maxillofacial region with potentially severe complications such as airway obstruction or spread in the mediastinum if not correctly and promptly diagnosed and treated. Caries and periodontitis are universally recognized as the most common causes, followed by postextraction conditions, pericoronitis related to the third molar inclusion, and infected dental cysts.

OBJECTIVES: Surgery for vascular anomalies can occasionally fail to relieve symptoms, especially when severe tracheobronchial malacia persists. We studied outcomes in children who underwent airway stenting for severe post-surgical airway malacia and tested known clinical and surgical prognostic factors. METHODS: Among 257 children evaluated for tracheobronchial vascular compression, we reviewed the clinical charts for the 59 patients (23%) who underwent surgery. After surgery, children in whom severe malacia and respiratory symptoms persisted underwent airway stenting.