Ludwig's angina following dental treatment of a five-year-old male patient: report of a case.

A five-year-old male child presented to the dental clinic with dental disease. This patient was otherwise healthy, with evidence of odontogenic infection (pulpal abscess) on tooth "T". Extraction of the tooth followed. Five days postoperative, the child was diagnosed as suffering from Ludwig's angina. This case of Ludwig's angina was found to be odontogenic in origin, but not originating from extraction of the offending tooth. Ludwig's angina is an aggressive infectious process of the submandibular, sublingual, and submental fascial spaces. It remains a potentially fatal cellulitis with a mortality rate of approximately 8%, in spite of appropriate antibiotic therapy. Early recognition and treatment of Ludwig's angina is extremely important due to its invasive nature.