Deep neck space infections (DNSIs) are life threatening conditions commonly encountered in the emergency department. They affect the deep fascial spaces, which refer to compartments delimited by the cervical fascia of the neck. Most DNSIs are odontogenic and their diagnosis is mostly based on a combination of clinical findings and cross-sectional imaging. These infections are treated using surgical intervention and antibiotics.

Based on a review of the current literature, this master thesis discusses the epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, and potential complications of odontogenic DNSIs, focusing on the anatomy of fascial spaces and infection patterns from the teeth to the deep fascial spaces. The articles used for this narrative review were selected based on the online search engine Pubmed. The keywords used for the research were “Deep neck space infections”, “Fascial space infection”, “Deep cervical space infection”, “Head and neck infection”, “Odontogenic abscess”, “Odontogenic origin”, “Dental origin”, “Odontogenic source”, “Radiological semiology”, “Imaging semiology”, “Imaging studies”, and “Computed tomography”. The articles were selected based on the accuracy of the abstract.

A series of computed tomography (CT) images from cases seen in the emergency department of the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) are included in this review to illustrate different cases of odontogenic cervical infections.