Infratemporal Fossa Abscesses: A Systematic Review of Cases

Abstract

Objectives: We have attempted to characterize the clinical presentations and management of infratemporal fossa abscesses with the goal of improving awareness and promoting earlier diagnosis and treatment for this rare condition. Methods: an extensive systematic search was performed through Pubmed/Medline, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), and Web of Science. Two authors screened out studies by abstracts, and a third resolved any conflicts. The remaining studies were assessed by full-text assessment, leaving 43 studies for data extraction. Results: sixty-seven patients were included from the final 43 studies. The patients were predominantly male (56.7%), and the average age of patients was 44.3 years (standard deviation (SD) 19.8 years). Risk factors most commonly odontogenic, whether the etiology was through tooth extraction (n = 30, 44.8%) or infection (n = 17, 25.4%). Symptoms on presentation included pain (n = 40, 83.3%), swelling (n = 39, 81.3%), and trismus (n = 36, 75.0%). Twenty-two (32.8%) patients were managed with intraoral incision and drainage (I&D), 18 (26.9%) with extraoral I&D. After treatment, 45 of the 48 (93.8%) patients from the case reports and series were deemed to have achieved complete resolution. Conclusions: Infratemporal fossa abscesses are rare, but they may be associated with serious neurologic and systemic complications. Although prompt diagnosis paramount in avoiding these sequelae, patients often experienced delays in diagnosis. Surgical drainage and extended antibiotic therapy is recommended.