Ludwig’s angina

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Oropharynx

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Ludwig’s angina

Alternative Names:

Submandibular space infection; Sublingual space infection

Symptoms:

neck pain
neck swelling
redness of the neck
fever
weakness, fatigue, excessive tiredness
confusion or other mental changes
difficulty breathing (this symptom indicates an emergency situation!)

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

earache
drooling

Signs and tests:

An examination of the neck and head shows redness and swelling of the upper neck, under the chin. The swelling may extend to the floor of the mouth. The tongue may be swollen or displaced upward and backward because of the inflammation.

A CT scan of the neck may be recommended to determine the extent of inflammation. Culture of fluid from the tissues may show bacteria, usually streptococcus species or anaerobic species that usually live in the mouth.

Review Date: 6/15/2005
Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.