LUDWIG’S ANGINA
This condition was named after a German physician, Wilhelm Friedrich von Ludwig, who first described it in 1836.
Although traditionally associated with pain of cardiac origin, the term “angina” is derived from the Latin word for choke (angere) and the Greek word for strangle (ankhone). In the case of Ludwig’s angina, it refers to the feeling of strangling and choking secondary to lingual airway obstruction, which is the most serious potential complication of this condition.
Ludwig angina is a bilateral infection of the submandibular space that consists of two compartments in the floor of the mouth, the sublingual space, and the submylohyoid (also known as submaxillary) space.
Ludwig's angina usually originates from dental infections in the mandibular molars, particularly the second and third molars, accounting for over 90% of cases.
Satyendra Dhar MD,
