歯牙迷入による舌膿瘍の1例

Lingual Abscess Caused by a Dental Foreign Body

　はじめに

　舌においては化膿性炎症，中でも膿瘍形成は少ない^1〜3）。われわれは舌膿瘍の1例を経験したが，その原因として異物の可能性を疑いながらも確定に時間を要したので，反省点もまじえて報告する。

A 78-year-old woman presented with a chief complaint of a mass of the tongue. The lesion was hemisphere in shape and about 10 mm in diameter. At the top of the lesion, purulent discharge was observed. From these findings the lesion was diagnosed to be lingual abscess. Though the origin of this abscess was suspected to be the presence ofa foreign body, such as fish bone, the patient denied its possibility. This abscess was drained by surgical incision. Because persistent purulent discharge and induration was observed, an additional incision was made, and a canine tooth was found at the bottom of the abscess cavity, and the symptom was subsid-ed.

As the presence of a foreign body was suspected from the clinical findings initially, we should per-form x-ray examination and ultrasonography even if the possibility of the foreign body was denied in the past history.