Citation

Ribeiro AL, Silva WB, Menezes SA, Kataoka MS, Alves-Junior SM, Pinheiro JJ. J. Craniofac. Surg. 2014; 25(1): e61-5.

Affiliation

From the *Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University Center of Pará-CESUPA; †School of Dentistry, University Center of Pará; ‡Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, University Center of Pará-CESUPA; §Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Pará-UFPA; and ∥Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, University Center of Pará-CESUPA, Belém, Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/SCS.0b013e3182a4c6b9

PMID

24406604

Abstract

Vascular injuries are a constant risk in facial trauma, although bone and soft tissues of the face have provided some protection to the larger blood vessels. However, penetrating injuries usually do not have this type of protection and can damage significant vascular arteries. This article presents a case of a stab wound, which led to airway obstruction arising to a large sublingual hematoma due to lingual artery injury. A healthy 44-year-old man was stabbed in the submandibular region and admitted with an airway obstruction. He was subjected to an emergency tracheotomy and evolved with progressive sublingual edema. Computed tomography (CT) angiography showed a left lingual artery injury with the formation of an expansive hematoma. The CT angiography findings helped to identify the cause of the hematoma and guided the surgery to drain the hematoma after ligation of the lingual artery. The treatment was safely performed as planned and evolved uneventfully. The patient recovered fast and well and presented normal functions 6 months after the treatment. This surgical technique is an effective method for treating such injuries because it can be safely performed when guided by CT angiography. The authors argue that the demand for vascular lesions should be routine in patients who have facial trauma.

Language: en