Ludwig angina: an uncommon and potentially lethal neck infection.

Ludwig angina (LA) is a potentially lethal acute cellulitis of the floor of the mouth and submandibular space. It rapidly spreads to infiltrate the soft tissues of the neck, producing a suprahyoid brawny induration with posterior and superior displacement of the tongue. Although LA is an uncommon entity, it is a clinical emergency. Unless recognized promptly and treated vigorously, it may progress to a fatal outcome due to suffocation. The role of radiologic imaging in the clinical management of LA is to evaluate airway narrowing, localize any drainable abscess, identify the presence of air from gas producing organisms, and search for underlying odontogenic abscess. We report the radiologic, clinical, and etiologic findings in four recent cases of LA and discuss a possible pitfall in radiologic interpretation.