Sepsis in the Setting of Bilateral Submandibular Abscesses: A Case Report.

Authors

Brooke D Johnson, Ava A Thielman, Shurouk Kattan Rahmani, Amaraja Kanitkar

Published in

Cureus. Volume 18. Issue 8. Pages e114547. Epub Aug 14, 2026.

Abstract

Submandibular abscesses, a type of polymicrobial deep neck infection (DNI), are an otolaryngologic emergency due to the risk of airway compromise and septic shock. Unilateral submandibular abscesses are common and are often the result of odontogenic infections, while comorbidities that weaken the immune system, such as diabetes mellitus or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), can exacerbate the infection. Bilateral submandibular abscesses are rare with limited cases reported in the literature, and are often associated with severe or systemic infections. This case report highlights the importance of a thorough physical examination and rapid intervention when evaluating a patient with suspected sepsis, presenting with nonspecific symptoms in the setting of multiple comorbidities. Rapid identification and appropriate management of a DNI such as bilateral submandibular abscesses is critical to preventing deterioration, including progression to sepsis, osteomyelitis, airway compromise, and death.

PMID:
42733908
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Sep 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.