Intraoral etiology of a life-threatening infection in an immunocompromised patient: report of case.

Oral infections are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with hematologic malignancies. Total body irradiation and chemotherapy suppress the ability of the immune system to respond to the more virulent pathogens that can attack the compromised patient. The case of an 8.5-year-old girl is reported, in which an oral infection and a clinically observed motility resulted in a communication with the submandibular space; a significant hard, brawny edema of her right submandibular area resulted. Surgery, strict oral hygiene, and regular irrigation with a chlorhexidine gluconate solution resulted in successful healing.