Published online Nov 16, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i32.7778
Peer-review started: September 29, 2023
First decision: October 9, 2023
Revised: October 18, 2023
Accepted: November 2, 2023
Article in press: November 2, 2023
Published online: November 16, 2023
Tongue abscess (TA) is a very rare clinical condition and its treatment is very important. Surgical drainage is at the forefront in the treatment. Our study includes patients with tongue and tongue base abscesses.
To discuss the clinical and laboratory findings of these patients emphasizing the underlying causes and treatment options with the largest patient series in the English literature.
We included patients with isolated TA who applied to our clinic between January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2023. Those who lack the recorded data, those who are not between the ages of 18-66, those who have not undergone surgery-interventional procedure, and those who have infection and/or abscess in another place were excluded from the study.
There were two female (18%) and nine male (82%) patients in our series consisting of 11 patients. Their ages ranged from 18 to 66, and the mean ± SD was 48.63 ± 16.3. Considering the localization of the abscess, three anterior abscesses (27%), two lateral abscesses (18%), and six abscesses at the base of the tongue (54%) were detected.
Tongue abscesses can cause acute upper airway obstruction and respiratory collapse. It may be necessary to act quickly for the tracheotomy procedure and this procedure can usually be performed under local anesthesia as intubation cannot be achieved. When we encounter an abscess in an unexpected organ, difficulties may be encountered in the management of the patient.
Core Tip: Tongue abscess is a very rare disease due to the anatomical and physiological structure of the tongue. The rarity of the disease can make it difficult to diagnose. Particular attention should be paid to airway obstruction, sepsis, and mediastinitis. Surgical drainage should be performed in abscesses larger than one centimeter.