Abstract
Fifty-three cases of the acute odontogenic infection requiring the hospitalization, from April 1996 to March 2001 at the our department, were examined chiefly to clarify the correlation between the value of CRP and the degree of infection. Results obtained were as follows;
1) The age at first visit ranged from 9 to 81 years old, with a mean age of 44.1 years old. Approximately 70% of all cases were distributed between 20 and 59 years old. The ratio males to females was 1: 1.2.
2) The cases were classified as 26 perimaxillary or perimandibular inflammation (49.0%), 17 phlegmon (32.1%), 4 maxillary sinusitis (7.5%), 3 pericoronitis (5.7%), 4 maxillary sinusitis (7.5%) and so on. The remaining 3 cases consisted of 2 cases of periodontitis and 1 case of osteomyelitis.
3) The underlying disease rate was a very high (47.2%). There were 6 cases of hypertension, 3 cases of diabetes, 3 cases of renal disease, 3 cases of liver disease and so on.
4) There was correlation between the value of CRP and the degree of infection (Y=0.44X+4.44, R=0.51, R2=0.26, P=0.0016, N=35). The values of CRP in two cases extending to the mediastini-tis were 26.2 and 28.4 mg/dl on the first hospital day.
