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Another cause of difficult airway in an elderly patient: Tongue‐base abscess
Author(s) -
Binar Murat,
Arslan Fatih,
Aydin Umit
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
gerodontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1741-2358
pISSN - 0734-0664
DOI - 10.1111/ger.12330
Subject(s) - medicine , odynophagia , airway obstruction , tongue , abscess , airway , intubation , surgery , dysphagia , pathology
Objective An abscess of the tongue base is rare, but it can be a potentially life‐threatening situation in elderly patients. Case report A 72‐year‐old male patient presented with mid‐anterior neck swelling, odynophagia, poor oral hygiene and severe dyspnoea. After a difficult intubation, the muscles were dissected via a submental suprahyoid approach and the abscess was drained. Conclusion Poor oral hygiene may predispose elderly patients to tongue‐base abscesses. An early decision should be made for surgical drainage due to the risk of airway obstruction.