Abstract
We report a case of lymph node swelling caused by dental filler used for root canal treatment. The patient was a 44-year-old woman, who presented with the chief complaint of repeated swelling of the mandibular lymph nodes. On cytological examination, the lymph nodes were identified as class 3, and the possibility of a malignant lymphoma could not be definitively eliminated. She had undergone root canal therapy twice in the right lower front molar teeth, the most recent of which had been performed 4 years before her visit to our hospital. Because panoramic tomographic radiography revealed periapical cyst formation at the teeth, we considered that the lymph node swelling was because of inflammation. After extraction of the teeth, the size of the lymph node slightly decreased but repeated aggravation and relief continued. We performed submandibular glandectomy and lymph node biopsy for diagnosis. Pathological analysis of the samples showed normal submandibular glands and macrophage phagocytosis of a black particle suspected as being root canal filler. To our knowledge, this report is the first to show lymph node swelling caused by root canal filler, which is considered safe for use in humans.
