As the clock ticks closer to the new year, DrBicuspid thought it was time to revisit some of the most intriguing and popular case reports published in 2025.
This year’s top stories included patient deaths during routine dental care, as well as anesthesia-induced bone death and rare condition that affected a preschooler. Without any further hesitation, here are the top 10 case reports of 2025.
Air embolism during routine dental care leads to woman’s death
A woman died hours after developing an air embolism induced by an air syringe used during a routine dental restoration procedure to treat tooth decay, according to a case report published in Legal Medicine.
The 70-year-old woman’s past dental treatment and the presence of an unusual anatomical feature may have made her more susceptible to developing an air embolism, the authors wrote.
Often benign oral germ causes condition that kills healthy woman
A healthy 52-year-old woman died after developing a pyopneumothorax, a collection of pus and air between the lung and the chest wall, caused by a typically benign mouth bacterium. Recognizing Streptococcus intermedius (S. intermedius), which lives in the oral cavity, as an aggressive pathogen in pyopneumothorax may be important for early diagnosis and treatment, according to a case report published in Case Reports in Pulmonology.
1st case of anesthesia-induced bone death in a healthy patient
A healthy man had bone tissue death in his jaw following an anesthesia injection for a cavity, which is believed to be the first reported case of this complication.
This case, published in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, highlights the importance of using proper technique to prevent osteonecrosis, or avascular necrosis, which occurs when the blood supply is interrupted, resulting in bone tissue death, during the administration of intraosseous anesthesia, the authors wrote.
Preschooler develops 1st case of dental-related eye drooping
A 5-year-old developed ptosis or eye drooping after having a pulpotomy with sedation, which is believed to be the first case to be linked to dental procedures. The case report was published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
Imaging revealed the healthy girl had pansinusitis without intraorbital complications. Bacterial spread after the dental procedure likely worsened inflammation, and the use of nitrous oxide sedation and possible compression of the oculomotor nerve likely led to her condition. After five days in the hospital and treatment with IV antibiotics, her ptosis completely resolved, the authors wrote.
1st reported case of small intestine tumor spreading to the TMJ
A small intestine neuroendocrine carcinoma metastasized to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in a man. The case report is believed the first reported case of its kind.
This case was published in the Journal of the American Dental Association and shines a light on how vital it is to consider metastasis in the differential diagnosis of TMJ pain in patients with neuroendocrine carcinoma.
Kid hospitalized for not eating, drinking after dental surgery
A 5-year-old patient with a history of anxiety was hospitalized with a feeding tube after refusing to eat, drink, or even swallow saliva for a week following general anesthesia for dental surgery.
The child, who had a history of anxiety but was otherwise healthy, was discharged from the hospital after eight days. This case report, published in Case Reports in Pediatrics, emphasizes the importance of considering a patient’s anxiety levels and providing comprehensive psychological support to manage postoperative anxiety and pain after procedures.
1st reported case of kidney disease drug causing gum overgrowth
In what is believed to be the first reported case of its kind, an immunosuppressive drug prescribed for lupus-induced kidney disease caused gingival enlargement in a 27-year-old woman. The case report was published in Clinical Advances in Periodontics.
Within a month of discontinuing the use of voclosporin, a newer calcineurin inhibitor used primarily to treat lupus nephritis, the woman experienced reduced gum enlargement and less pain.
Gum disease therapy leads to rare condition that affects movement
A woman was diagnosed with crowned dens syndrome, a rare condition that causes severe neck pain that can lead to spinal cord compression, which was triggered by periodontitis treatment. After a month of medication, the woman's symptoms improved, according to a case report published in Clinical Case Reports.
Imaging aids in removing aspirated drill head from patient
Imaging assisted in the diagnosis and removal of a dental drill head from the airway of a 76-year-old patient who aspirated the object during a procedure.
An x-ray and computed tomography scan aided in visualizing the approximately 2-cm dental drill head within the patient's right airway. Once the foreign object was retrieved, the patient recovered without incident, according to a case report published in Radiology Case Reports.
Teen develops deadly 'forgotten disease' following extractions
A teen in Canada developed the rare, life-threatening Lemierre syndrome, or the "forgotten disease," following sepsis from mandibular osteomyelitis after third-molar extractions.
It is believed to be the first reported case of a healthy adolescent who underwent an otherwise uncomplicated third-molar extraction and subsequently developed mandibular osteomyelitis from the bacteria Moraxella osloensis and Lemierre's syndrome, a rare condition that involves septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein.
The 17-year-old boy made a full recovery after being treated with urgent operative debridement, antibiotics, and anticoagulant therapy, according to a case report published in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Cases.
