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Oral Surgery · single question

A patient has an infection of the upper face that is spreading toward the eye. To which anatomical space are you MOST worried the infection could spread?

  1. Cavernous sinus
  2. Pterygomandibular space
  3. Retropharyngeal space
  4. Submental space
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Correct answer: A. Cavernous sinus

  • A. Correct. The upper face (around the nose, upper lip, and medial canthus) is the 'danger triangle.' Venous drainage here is valveless and connects via the facial and ophthalmic veins to the CAVERNOUS SINUS, so infection can travel retrograde and cause cavernous sinus thrombosis — a life-threatening complication.
  • B. The pterygomandibular space is associated with infections from lower (mandibular) molars and is the target of an inferior alveolar nerve block, not upper-face infections.
  • C. The retropharyngeal space relates to posterior/deep neck infections, not the upper face.
  • D. The submental space lies under the chin and relates to mandibular anterior teeth.

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