Subcutaneous emphysema during surgical extraction of third molars: three case reports

RAFAEL TORRES, ARIANY RIBEIRO, HANNAH CARVALHO, SAULO DO NASCIMENTO, GUSTAVO DE ALBUQUERQUE, VALBER MARTINS, MARCELO OLIVEIRA, JOEL JUNIOR e PAULO TAVARES

Introduction: Subcutaneous emphysema is a rare accident that occurs during dental treatments in which forced passage of air and/or other gases into the soft tissues occurs. It can have several causes, but the most common occur from the air released during the use of high-speed turbines or triple syringes. Usually treatment is symptomatic, presenting spontaneous remission over time. However, they may present complications that progress to severe conditions that put the patient’s life at risk, and a rigorous follow-up is necessary until its complete regression. Description: Three clinical cases of female patients, who developed subcutaneous emphy- sema during the use of high-speed turbine in third molar extraction procedures, are reported. All were diagnosed immediately during the surgeries, with symptoms of facial volume increase and crepitation on palpation. Results: The treatments performed were satisfactory, which included the use of associated anti-inflammatory and antibiotic medications. Conclusion: After a follow-up period, complete remission of the symptoms was observed without the appearance of complications. The correct surgical planning is fundamental to avoid this type of complication.

Keywords: Emphysema. Oral surgical procedures. Preprosthetic. Accidents.

How to cite: Torres RS, Ribeiro ACF, Carvalho HMP, Nascimento SLC, Albuquerque GC, Martins VB, Oliveira MV, Motta Junior J, Tavares PMH. Subcutaneous emphysema during surgical extraction of third molars: three case reports. J Braz Coll Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2020 Jan-Apr;6(1):36-41.

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