Keywords: Ludwig's angina, sublingual space, submaxillary space, angina and Gram negatives bacterias

Abstract: Ludwig's Angina is defined as a diffuse cellulitis, rapidly progressive, located in the sublingual and submaxillary spaces, generally billateral. Because of its potential gravity that imposes rapid and adequate attitude, it has still been largely discussed. The existing controversies, mainly on the best form of treatment of such patients, led the authors to conduct a review of the patients with this disease, treated in the last five years in the Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná. Twenty-seven cases of Ludwig's Angina were reviewed. The patients were seen between January, 1st, 1990 and September 1st, 1995. They were analyzed regarding their gender, age, evolution until reach the hospital, signs and symptoms, etiology, treatment and complications. The analysis of the secretions played an important role for the conclusions. It showed that Gram negatives bacterias are not frequent in this pathology.