mastoid air cells extends into the subperiosteal space. Chronic otitis
media with or without cholesteatoma can cause facial paralysis
through involvement of a dehiscent nerve or through bony erosion.
Facial paralysis secondary to COM or cholesteatoma generally has a
slow progression and a worse prognosis.
13
C ¸ ilcan et al
10
reported
mastoid abscess in 14 patients, labyrinthitis in 28 patients, facial
paralysis in 12 patients, and labyrinthine fistula in 4 patients, totally
25 extracranial complications among 324 COM cases. They did not
have any intracranial complication in patients who had extracranial
complications.
However, in our case, we had 2 intracranial and 2 extracranial
complications together, and the only complaint of the patient was
about the facial paralysis. It is important to know that a patient could
have multiple complications and one of the complications may mask
the others. Even a sigmoid sinus thrombosis could mask the cere-
bellar abscess as mentioned in a clinical report.
14
Early diagnosis of
intracranial complications may have been life saving.
11
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, we aimed to emphasize that a patient may have multiple
complications due to COM even if it has been talked that the
complications of COM have been rarely seen recent years. In ad-
dition, our patient did not have any complicated complaints except
facial paralysis and fever. This situation shows that the clinicians
should be careful and keep in mind that a patient with minimal
symptoms may have multiple COM complications together.
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Anterior Mandibular Zone
Safe for Implants
Nu ¨khet Ku ¨tu ¨k, DDS, PhD, Ahmet Emin Demirbaz, DDS,
Zeynep Bur0in Go ¨nen, DDS, Cihan Topan, DDS,
Erdem Kili0, DDS, PhD, Osman A. Eto ¨z, DDS, PhD,
Alper Alkan, DDS, PhD
Abstract: During implantology procedures, one of the most serious
complications is damage of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN). The
mandibular incisive nerve is described as a terminal branch of the
IAN and provides innervation to the lower anterior teeth and canines.
The incisive nerve and canal are located in the interforaminal area.
Although numerous studies report IAN damage during implant
placement, few reports in the literature describes sensory distur-
bances, such as neuropathic pain, related to mandibular incisive
nerve damage.
The purpose of this retrospective clinical study was to evaluate
the risk of neuropathic pain caused by implant placement in the
interforaminal region of the mandible.
Panaromic radiographs of patients who were treated with
dental implants in the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty
of Dentistry at Erciyes University, between 2007 and 2012, were
examined. Fifty-five patients with suspected relationship between
mandibular incisive canal and dental implant were included into this
study. Computed tomography scans were obtained from 10 patients
who have postoperative neuropathic pain. Relationship between
dental implant and mandibular incisive nerve was evaluated using a
three-dimensional software program. Mandibular incisive nerve
perforation by at least 1 implant was observed in all 10 patients.
Descriptive analyses were also provided.
Neuropathic pain may occur after implant placement in the
interforaminal region due to the perforation of the incisive canal and
nerve. According to the results of this retrospective study, the inci-
sive canal and nerve perforation should be considered as a compli-
cation of implant surgery in the mandibular anterior area.
Key Words: Mandibular incisive nerve, dental implant, neuropathic
pain, dental volumetric tomography
From the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Facultyof Dentistry,
Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
Received January 22, 2013.
Accepted for publication March 10, 2013.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Ahmet Emin Demirbaz,
DDS, Erciyes U
¨
niversitesi, Diz Hekimlig ˘i Faku ¨ltesi, Ag ˘ Nz Diz C ¸ ene
Cerrahisi AD, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey; E-mail: aemindemirbas@
hotmail.com
A part of this study was presented as an oral presentation at the sixth
International Congress of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Society
(ACBID), Antalya, Turkey, 2012.
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Copyright * 2013 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD
ISSN: 1049-2275
DOI: 10.1097/SCS.0b013e318292c7d5
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery & Volume 24, Number 4, July 2013 Brief Clinical Studies
* 2013 Mutaz B. Habal, MD e405
Copyright © 2013 Mutaz B. Habal, MD. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.