Introduction: Cervicofacial cellulitis is mainly due to neglected oral/pharyngeal diseases. Untreated or incorrectly treated, they can be complicated by thoraco-cervical necrosis, which has a gloomy prognosis and is difficult to manage, especially in an under-medicalized environment. The aim of this work was to report the difficulties of management in precarious context by underlining the interest of primary prevention.
Patients and method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional retrospective study from January 2018 to March.
Results: Fifty cases of thoracic-cervical necrosis were collected during this period. The man/woman sex ratio was 3.55. Dental etiology was found in 96% of cases. The main complications were: pneumopathy (n = 10), mediastinitis (n = 10), pleurisy (n = 3) and polyseritis (n = 2). The management combined medical and surgical treatment under local or general anesthesia. The mortality rate was 12.8%. The functional results were satisfactory in surviving cases.
Conclusion: The management of thoracic-cervical necrosis remains a challenge in precarious conditions. Primary must play a major role in these conditions.
Keywords: Cellulitis; Mediastinitis; Pneumopathy; Prevention; Thoraco-cervical necrosis.
Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.