Acute tongue abscess. Report of three cases.

Abscess of the tongue seems to be a rare clinical entity and is a potentially life-threatening infection. It may result in airway compromise and disseminated infection to other regions. Thus, a tongue abscess should be considered in all cases of acute tongue swelling, especially when host defences are severely impaired. In acute cases the diagnosis of tongue abscess can be reached clinically. Needle aspiration of pus collection is a useful diagnostic and therapeutic tool, which provides considerable amelioration of symptoms. Three cases of tongue abscess are reported, along with discussion of the presentation, pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, and management of this disease.