Case Report
Tooth Root Abscess and Mandibular Infections in Old World Camelids: 3 Cases
Figure 2
(a, b) Two separate left ventral-right dorsal oblique projections of the right mandible in patient 3. A metallic marker has been placed at the location of a clinically reported draining tract in (b). There is a radiolucent tract (arrows) extending from the ventral cortical margin of the mandible in a dorsal and caudal direction to reach the caudal tooth root of the second right mandibular premolar tooth (PM2) and the rostral tooth root of the right first mandibular molar tooth (M1). This tract is bordered by medullary sclerosis and associated with extensive relatively smooth periosteal new bone formation along the ventral body of the mandible (arrowheads). The clinically reported soft tissue swelling along the ventral mandibular body is unable to be evaluated radiographically due to technique. Note: the circular lucent region associated with the caudal mandible is consistent with a normal tooth bud of the second mandibular molar tooth. In camels, the tooth bud of the 2nd mandibular molar begins to form at 1.5 years of age, and the tooth erupts at 3 years (approximate time of radiographs in this patient). Formation of this tooth is not complete until 4.5 years, and the tooth bud will not completely resorb until this age has been reached.
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