Pharyngocutaneous Fistula after Head and Neck Surgery

두경부 수술후 발생한 인두피부누공의 치료

Subcutaneous cervicofacial, mediastinal emphysemas are complications associated with head and neck surgery, trauma, infectious processes, tooth extraction. Drill cooling stream and dental syringe air ject are the sources of high pressure air that may enter exposed soft tissue. Since the introduction of the high-speed air turbine drill in the 1960s, The incidence of iatrogenic subcutaneous emphysema has increased. Most cases begin to resolve after 2 to 3 days and residual swelling is usually minimal at the end of 7 to 10 days. Surgical approach is not advised because it is likely to be ineffective. The differential diagnosis of neck swelling after dental procedure includes hematoma, cellulitis, angioedema, allergic reaction, subcutaneous emphysema. We report a rare case of patient with subcutaneous cervicofacial emphysema and mediastinal emphysema secondary to third molar extraction.