Masticator Space Infectionと開口障害

Masticator Space Infection and Trismus

緒言

　開口障害を主訴に耳鼻咽喉科を受診する患者は稀である。しかし，頭頸部領域を扱う医師にとって，重要な症候のひとつであり正しい診断と治療が望まれる。今回我々は，開口障害をきたし，初診時に腫瘍性病変を疑わせたmasticator space infec—tionの1例を経験したので報告するとともに，炎症性開口障害の分類について考察してみる。

The authors present a rare case of masticator space infection without evidence of odontogenic infection. A 37-year-old male complained of tris-mus of one month duration after upper molar dental treatment. He had a tumor-like lesion in the right buccal mucosa. CT, laboratory data and pathological findings demonstrated the pre-sence of masticator space infection. Antibiotic therapy resulted in a complete relief of trismus in a month.

We propose a classification of infectious trismus as follows:

(1) Masticator space infection.

(2) Extra-masticator space infection.

a) Infection around masticator space. (spas- tic mechanism)

b) Infection distant from masticator space. (painful reflexive mechanism).