Paciente joven con angina de Ludwig, mediastinitis necrosante descendente y shock séptico en relación con absceso odontogénico. Reporte de caso en Colombia

Mediastinitis is a potentially fatal infection, and due to its low incidence, little epidemiological information is available. Complicated odontogenic infections, such as Ludwig's angina, are a rare cause of descending necrotizing mediastinitis but cause 90% of necrotizing infections. We present the case of a 34-year-old male patient with periodontal disease who develops Ludwig's angina. He progresses to descending necrotizing mediastinitis and septic shock, requiring emergency surgical management, ICU stay, invasive mechanical ventilation and broad-spectrum antibiotic management, with multiple complications associated with mediastinal involvement. Key aspects of the case such as epidemiology, physiopathology, diagnosis, and treatment of descending necrotizing mediastinitis secondary to odontogenic infections are analyzed. Ludwig's angina with descending necrotizing mediastinitis is a serious but preventable complication of this type of infections. Its management requires a timely multidisciplinary approach to reduce morbidity and mortality.