Răng Khôn Mọc Lệch Gây Biến Chứng Nguy Hiểm

A 44-year-old male patient presented with swelling and pain on the right side of the jaw for 12 days.

The swelling and pain progressively worsened, accompanied by a fever of 38–39°C. He had previously visited a district hospital and was prescribed oral antibiotics, but symptoms did not improve. The pain continued to intensify.

Three days prior to admission, he began experiencing difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, trismus (restricted mouth opening), occasional breathing difficulty, and voice changes.

Extraoral examination showed swelling in the right cheek and difficulty opening the mouth.

Intraoral examination revealed swelling of the right lateral pharyngeal wall, causing airway narrowing.

The patient was prescribed a panoramic X-ray and a CT scan, which revealed the following:

Panoramic X-ray showed that the lower right third molar (tooth 48) was impacted, with signs of pericoronal inflammation around its root.

Axial CT scan showed a lateral pharyngeal wall abscess compressing the airway, causing up to 80% narrowing.

Coronal CT scan showed the abscess mass displacing the airway toward the opposite side.

The patient was immediately indicated for emergency surgery to incise and drain the abscess and extract tooth 48, as the abscess was at risk of rupturing and discharging pus into the airway, posing a life-threatening condition.

Postoperative recovery was favorable, the patient’s condition improved gradually, and he was discharged after 5 days of treatment. This case illustrates that impacted wisdom teeth can lead to very dangerous complications. You should visit a dentist for timely consultation and treatment.

Đ.T.H