Significant rise in neck infections progressing to descending necrotizing mediastinitis during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine

To present five patients with DNM, who were treated during the first quarantine for Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Five patients with DNM were treated in our department during the first lockdown. The mean age of the patients was 42,2 years and four were male. Two patients were immunocompromised. Repeated surgical drainage was performed in all patients, whereas four were also subjected to elective tracheostomy during their first operation. The mean hospitalization duration was 55,4 days and mortality was 40%. During the first lockdown for the Covid-19, a rise in the ratio of DNM cases to the overall incidence of cervicofacial infections was observed in our department. All patients with DNM were operated on an emergency basis and were subsequently admitted to the ICU. We consider the effect of the quarantine as a decisive factor for this escalation, because according to the department archives, there had not been any cases of DNM originating from a dental infection, for the past 5 years. Additionally, past studies from the same department reported no more than 6 cases over a 10 year period.