Anterolateral Lingual Abscess in a Young Adult: A Comprehensive Case Study.
Alaa Safia, Rabie Shehadeh, Shlomo Merchavy
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A young adult man with no relevant medical history presented after 2 days of worsening tongue pain and swelling, accompanied by dyspnea. Although his oxygen saturation was normal, clinicians considered airway compromise a concern and arranged urgent intervention. Clinical assessment, contrast-enhanced CT and ultrasonography, with input from a maxillofacial surgeon, established an anterolateral lingual abscess and guided successful treatment. The report does not specify the treatment details.
What made this case unusual
Dyspnea and concern for impending airway compromise occurred despite normal oxygen saturation in a patient with an anterolateral tongue abscess.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Normal oxygen saturation does not exclude clinically important airway risk when tongue swelling is accompanied by dyspnea; prompt assessment and imaging can help guide diagnosis and intervention.