Edema of the larynx - an emergency caused by angina Ludovici

Abstract

Introduction. Laryngeal edema is a rare complication of angina Ludovici. Infections of this region are mostly of dentogenic origin, less often caused by tonsillitis or other infections in the pharynx. We present a case of a patient with laryngeal edema and dyspnea caused by a lower jaw tooth infection and an ipsilateral submandibular abscess. Case outline. The clinical picture of our patient progressed rapidly – from toothache, painful swelling of the floor of the oral cavity, submandibular and submental regions, bilaterally, all the way to lifethreatening dyspnea. A flexible nasopharyngolaryngoscopy was performed. Swelling of the base of the tongue on the left side was observed, along with pronounced edema of the aryepiglottic fold on the same side, which narrowed the breathing space. Since the breathing space was significantly reduced, the patient was urgently hospitalized. The surgical treatment was carried out in the form of an external incision and drainage of the abscess collection of the left submandibular region, with the use of oxygen support and parenteral therapy, in accordance with the recommendations from the available medical literature. Constant monitoring of saturation levels indicated a significant improvement after just a few hours of medicamentous therapy. Conclusion. The goal of our work is to point out a very rare but serious complication, laryngeal edema, which can lead to airway obstruction even in the first few days of the development of the infection, and endanger the life of the patient.

Keywords

• edema of the larynx
• stridor
• submandibular abscess