Odontogenic cutaneous sinus tract - misdiagnosis and follow-up in a seven-year-old boy

Abstract

Cutaneous sinus tracts of dental origin are relatively rare, but frequently misdiagnosed. In this case report, we present a seven-year-old patient with a cutaneous lesion in the left submandibular region misdiagnosed by a physician as an abscess secondary to suppurative lymphadenitis, and thus incorrectly treated with surgery and systemic antibiotics. Following a detailed dental examination, the patient was correctly diagnosed with an odontogenic sinus tract from a periapical abscess of tooth 36. Treatment of the immature tooth was initiated with apexification combined with nonsurgical endodontic treatment. The cutaneous and the periapical lesions were all resolved after the treatment and there has been no recurrence during an eight-year follow-up.