Odontogenic cervicofacial cellulitis in rural area

Objective

To describe the epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of odontogenic cervicofacial cellulitis in rural Togo, and more specifically in the town of Dapaong.

Method

This was a monocentric, retrospective, descriptive study conducted at the Dapaong regional hospital over 03 years from January 2019 to December 2021.

Results

A total of 103 cases were collected, representing an annual frequency of 34.33 cases per year. The mean age of the patients was 45.69 ± 17.49 years. We reported a male predominance, with a male/female sex ratio of 2.03. We had high exposure to risk factors for cervicofacial cellulitis (92.23%), with HIV infection predominating. Anti-inflammatory drugs and traditional therapy concerned 43.68% and 48.54% of our sample respectively. The average consultation time was 16.17 ± 7.42 days. Pain (100%) and swelling (84.46%) were the clinical signs most frequently encountered. Involvement was predominantly hemifacial, with diffuse cellulitis predominating (56.31%). The maxillary molars (38.83%) were the main site of infection. Resuscitation and triple antibiotic therapy concerned 23.30% of patients, and surgery 59.22%. The in-hospital mortality rate for odontogenic cervicofacial cellulitis in our study was 11.65%.

Conclusion

Although odontogenic cervicofacial cellulitis is uncommon in the town of Dapaong, it is associated with a delay in treatment and a high mortality rate.