Background: Emergencies in maxillofacial surgery are numerous, and many require urgent medical intervention. Their diagnosis necessitates collaboration between the maxillofacial surgeon and other medical specialties, while effective treatment and monitoring are impossible without an interdisciplinary team.
Materials and Methods: This review article analyzes information from 77 scientific publications to provide current data on major emergencies in maxillofacial surgery and the relationship between maxillofacial surgeons and other medical specialists in their diagnosis and treatment.
Discussion: Emergencies and diseases in the maxillofacial area are primarily categorized as inflammatory or traumatic. The most common inflammatory ones are acute lymphadenitis, acute sialadenitis, abscesses, and phlegmons. Their management involves antibacterial therapy, with surgical intervention for evacuation if a purulent focus forms. Traumatic emergencies typically involve soft tissue wounds and fractures of the facial bones (e.g., mandible, maxilla, zygomatic, and nasal bones). Effective management of all these conditions necessitates a collaborative approach with specialists from other disciplines; without such interdisciplinary involvement, diagnostic and therapeutic efforts would be compromised, potentially leading to patient disability or even mortality.
Conclusion: Daily interaction between maxillofacial surgeons and specialists from various medical fields is fundamental for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment of emergency conditions in maxillofacial surgery.
Rocha NS, Laureano Filho JR, Silva ED, Almeida RC. Perception of oral maxillofacial surgery by health-care professionals. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2008 Jan;37(1):41-6. doi:10.1016/j.ijom.2007.07.001.
Roesch ZK, Tadi P. Anatomy, Head and Neck, Neck. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; [updated 2023 Jul 24; cited 2025 Jun 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542313/. PMID: 31194453.
Yankov YG, Dimanov SN, Nikolaev NI, Stoev LL, Yotsova RV, Stoeva MG. Etiology and demographic distribution of odontogenic abscesses in the maxillofacial area in patients over 18 years of age: a five-year retrospective study. Cureus. 2024;16(4):e59334. doi:10.7759/cureus.59334.
Yankov YG, Stoev LL. Demographic distribution and etiological bacterial spectrum of patients with non-odontogenic abscesses and phlegmons of the head and neck. Acta Microbiol Bulg. 2023;39(4):475-8. doi:10.59393/amb23390416.
Chausheva GM, Yankov YG, Nenova DD. Impact of bacterial etiology on procalcitonin, C-reactive protein and hematological parameters: evaluating mean platelet volume for differentiating Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in odontogenic versus non-odontogenic head and neck abscesses. Cureus. 2024;16(9):e69352. doi:10.7759/cureus.69352.
Ma B, Rose J, Rojas EM, Castro-Núñez J. Is oral and maxillofacial surgery lagging behind other specialties on X? Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2025 Mar 5;29(1):61. doi:10.1007/s10006-025-01359-x.
Alterman M, Nassar M, Rushinek H, Cohen A, Shapira L, Casap N. The efficacy of a protective protocol for oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures in a COVID-19 pandemic area-results from 1471 patients. Clin Oral Investig. 2021 Aug;25(8):5001-8. doi:10.1007/s00784-021-03809-8.
Yankov YG, Stoev LL. Demographic distribution, etiological bacterial spectrum and antibacterial treatment of patients with odontogenic abscesses and phlegmons of the head and neck. J IMAB. 2023;29(4):5276-81. doi:10.5272/jimab.2023294.5276.
Yankov YG. Etiological bacterial spectrum of patients with odontogenic and non-odontogenic abscesses and phlegmons in the maxillofacial area. J IMAB. 2023;29(2):4958-62. doi:10.5272/jimab.2023292.4958.
Chausheva GM, Yankov YG, Nenova DD. The role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and mean platelet volume in diagnosing odontogenic and non-odontogenic head and neck abscesses. Cureus. 2024;16(10):e72711. doi:10.7759/cureus.72711.
Nikolaev NN, Yankov YG. Lymph nodes of the head and neck: in normal and pathological conditions. Varna Med Forum. 2023;12(1):69-74. doi:10.14748/vmf.v12i1.9034.
Freeman AM, Matto P. Lymphadenopathy. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; [updated 2023 Feb 20; cited 2025 Jun 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513250/.
Yankov YG. The etiological bacterial spectrum of neck abscesses of lymph node origin – Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Cureus. 2023;15(10):e46940. doi:10.7759/cureus.46940.
Lang S, Kansy B. Cervical lymph node diseases in children. GMS Curr Top Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014 Dec 1;13:Doc08. doi:10.3205/cto000111.
Yankov YG. Etiological bacterial spectrum of purulent inflammation of cervical lymph nodes in children with unknown causes of lymphadenopathy. Cureus. 2023;15(9):e46276. doi:10.7759/cureus.46276.
Yankov YG, Stoev LL, Yotsova RV, Gerova-Vatsova TI, Ali MA. Types of cervical lymph node dissection in the maxillofacial region. A review article. Scr Sci Med Dent. 2025. doi:10.14748/ssmd.v11i1.10111.
Yankov YG. Acute sialoadenitis of the submandibular salivary glands and acute inflammation of the submandibular lymph nodes. A review article. Scr Sci Med Dent. 2024;10(1):7-13. doi:10.14748/ssmd.v9i2.9347.
Yotsova RV. Submandibular triangle - in normal conditions and in acute purulent inflammatory diseases. Varna Med Forum. 2023;12(2):180-5. doi:10.14748/vmf.v12i2.9332.
Adhikari R, Soni A. Submandibular Sialadenitis and Sialadenosis. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; [updated 2022 Aug 8; cited 2025 Jun 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562211/.
Hammett JT, Walker C. Sialolithiasis. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; [updated 2024 Sep 10; cited 2025 Jun 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549845/.
Kim DH, Kang JM, Kim SW, Kim SH, Jung JH, Hwang SH. Utility of Ultrasonography for Diagnosis of Salivary Gland Sialolithiasis: A Meta-Analysis. Laryngoscope. 2022 Sep;132(9):1785-91. Epub 2022 Jan 19. doi:10.1002/lary.30020. PMID: 35043982.
Yankov YG, Mechkarova ID. Etiological spectrum of odontogenic and non-odontogenic abscesses in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Scr Sci Med Dent. 2023;9:68-74. doi:10.14748/ssmd.v9i1.9130.
Yankov YG. Delta neutrophil index as a new marker of purulent inflammation in men with non-odontogenic abscesses of the neck. Cureus. 2023;15(10):e47165. doi:10.7759/cureus.47165.
Matcuk GR Jr, Skalski MR, Patel DB, Fields BKK, Waldman LE, Spinnato P, Gholamrezanezhad A, Katal S. Lower extremity infections: Essential anatomy and multimodality imaging findings. Skeletal Radiol. 2024 Oct;53(10):2121-41. doi:10.1007/s00256-024-04567-w.
Ilieva BI, Yankov YG, Borisova-Papancheva TI, Papanchev GY, Sveshtarov VG. Research on risk factors for development of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws. J IMAB. 2025;31(1):6061-8. doi:10.5272/jimab.2025311.6061.
Yankov YG, Mechkarova ID. Microbiological spectrum, clinic and treatment of patients with phlegmons of the mouth floor. Int J Med Sci Clin Invent. 2023;10(5):6704-10. doi:10.18535/ijmsci/v10i5.02.
Yotsova RV, Ali MA, Yankov YG, Gerova-Vatsova TI, Kostadinov KS. Osteoradionecrosis of the jaw: a review article. Varna Med Forum. 2024;13(2):101-7. doi:10.14748/vmf.v13i2.9835.
Gupta G, McDowell RH. Peritonsillar Abscess. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; [updated 2023 Jul 17; cited 2025 Jun 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519520/.
Yankov YG, Bocheva YD. Procalcitonin as a new inflammatory marker in odontogenic abscesses of head and neck in male population. J IMAB. 2024;30(1):5429-34. doi:10.5272/jimab.2024301.5429.
Esposito S, De Guido C, Pappalardo M, Laudisio S, Meccariello G, Capoferri G, Rahman S, Vicini C, Principi N. Retropharyngeal, Parapharyngeal and peritonsillar abscesses. Children (Basel). 2022 Apr 26;9(5):618. doi:10.3390/children9050618.
Sunderkötter C, Becker K, Eckmann C, Graninger W, Kujath P, Schöfer H. Calculated initial parenteral treatment of bacterial infections: Skin and soft tissue infections. GMS Infect Dis. 2020 Mar 26;8:Doc11. doi:10.3205/id000055.
Eliason MJ, Wang AS, Lim J, Beegle RD, Seidman MD. Are computed tomography scans necessary for the diagnosis of peritonsillar abscess? Cureus. 2023 Feb 9;15(2):e34820. doi:10.7759/cureus.34820.
Nenova DD, Chausheva GM, Yankov YG. Online hemodiafiltration: a new perspective for patient with end-stage renal disease. Cureus. 2024;16(8):e66076. doi:10.7759/cureus.66076.
Nenova DD, Yankov YG, Chausheva GM. Real-time dialysis dose: ionic dialysis versus classical urea kinetic modeling indices. Cureus. 2024;16(9):e69928. doi:10.7759/cureus.69928.
Nenova DD, Yankov YG, Chausheva GM. Nonstandardized high-intensity dialysis dose improves survival in patients with end-stage renal disease. Cureus. 2024;16(10):e71725. doi:10.7759/cureus.71725.
Nenova DD, Yankov YG. Types of vascular access and associated clinical outcomes in dialysis patients. Cureus. 2025;17(5):e83691. doi:10.7759/cureus.83691.
Yankov YG, Bocheva YD, Kolev NY. Evaluation of both procalcitonine and delta neutrophil index in hospitalized patients with odontogenic and non-odontogenic abscesses. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2021;557(59):S550. doi:10.1515/cclm-2021-5022.
Yankov YG, Bocheva YD. Correlation between the serum levels of procalcitonin and CRP in patients with odontogenic and non-odontogenic abscesses in maxillofacial surgery. Clin Chim Acta. 2022;530:S212-3. doi:10.1016/j.cca.2022.04.128.
Yankov YG, Bocheva YD. The value of the delta neutrophil index in odontogenic and non-odontogenic abscess surgery of the head and the neck. Varna Med Forum. 2022;11(1):211-7. doi:10.14748/vmf.v0i0.8430.
Yankov YG, Bocheva YD. Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in the surgery of inflammatory head and neck diseases - diagnostic significance and correlations. Varna Med Forum. 2022;11(1):218-25. doi:10.14748/vmf.v0i0.8511.
Yankov YG, Bocheva YD. Comparative characterization of procalcitonin (sensitivity, specificity, predictability, and cut-off reference values) as a marker of inflammation in odontogenic abscesses of the head and neck in the female population. Cureus. 2023;15(11):e48207. doi:10.7759/cureus.48207.
Zafiroski S. Follicular cysts of the jaw bones - anesthesia and treatment (literature review). Scr Sci Med. 2025;57(1).
Yankov YG, Yotsova RV, Ali MA, Gerova-Vatsova TI, Stoev LL. Maxillary sinus – structure, function, and inflammatory diseases. A review article. Scr Sci Med Dent. 2025. doi:10.14748/ssmd.v11i1.9929.
Ali MA, Papanchev GY, Yotsova RV, Gerova-Vatsova TI, Yankov YG. Foreign bodies in the maxillary sinus: a review. Varna Med Forum. 2024;13(2):108-12. doi:10.14748/vmf.v13i2.9848.
Pastorino A, Tavarez MM. Incision and Drainage. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; [updated 2023 Jul 24; cited 2025 Jun 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556072/.
Khan TU, Rahat S, Khan ZA, Shahid L, Banouri SS, Muhammad N. Etiology and pattern of maxillofacial trauma. PLoS One. 2022 Sep 29;17(9):e0275515. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0275515.
Panesar K, Susarla SM. Mandibular fractures: diagnosis and management. Semin Plast Surg. 2021 Oct 11;35(4):238-49. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1735818.
Rabadi T, Brady MF. Tetanus Toxoid. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; [updated 2023 May 1; cited 2025 Jun 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557415/.
Bergamini C, Ferris RL, Xie J, Mariani G, Ali M, Holmes WC, Harrington K, Psyrri A, Cavalieri S, Licitra L. Bleeding complications in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Head Neck. 2021 Sep;43(9):2844-58. doi:10.1002/hed.26772.
Dimanov SN, Yankov YG, Stoev LL. Ameloblastoma of the jaw bones: clinical study and case report. J IMAB. 2023;29(3):5052-6. doi:10.5272/jimab.2023293.5052.
Yankov YG, Stoev LL, Stanislavova K, Dimanov SN. An unusual case of metachronous tumors of prostate and parotid gland: a diagnostic dilemma. Cureus. 2023;15(11):e48477. doi:10.7759/cureus.48477.
Yankov YG, Stoev LL, Dimanov SN, Stoeva MG, Stanislavova K. A rare case of papillary thyroid carcinoma in the thyroglossal duct cyst of a 14-year-old female patient with left thyroid hemiagenesis. Cureus. 2023;15(11):e49712. doi:10.7759/cureus.49712.
Stoev LL, Yankov YG, Nikolaev NI, Stoeva MG. A rare case of schwannoma of the right greater palatine nerve in a 17-year-old female patient. Cureus. 2024;16(3):e56836. doi:10.7759/cureus.56836.
Yankov YG, Yotsova RV, Stoev LL, Nikolaev NI, Dimanov SN, Stoeva MG. A case report of mandibular gingival metastasis from sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma with phenotypical transformation into neuroendocrine carcinoma. Cureus. 2024;16(6):e62805. doi:10.7759/cureus.62805.
Yankov YG, Yotsova RV, Nikolaev NI, Stoev LL, Plachkov LI, Dimanov SN, Stoeva MG. A rare case of a plunging ranula in a 42-year-old male patient: a case report. Cureus. 2024;16(8):e68077. doi:10.7759/cureus.68077.
Dimanov SN, Stoev AL, Yotsova RV, Stoev LL, Yankov YG, Yoana RR. A rare case of cementoblastoma of the second right maxillary premolar in a 30-year-old man. Cureus. 2024;16(11):e73737. doi:10.7759/cureus.73737.
Yotsova RV, Yankov YG, Keremedchieva SP, Stoev LL, Dimanov SN, Parushev ID. Ranula as a complication of dental implant therapy: a case report and systematic review. Galician Med J. 2025. doi:10.21802/e-GMJ2025-A09.
Parushev AA, Iliev BP, Dzhenkov DL, Stefanova NT, Yankov YG, Ali MM, Enchev YP. A case report of a rare cervical synovial cyst at the C7-T1 level. Cureus. 2025;17(5):e83874. doi:10.7759/cureus.83874.
Yankov YG, Dimanov SN, Stoev LL, Stanislavova K. Papillary thyroid carcinoma in thyroglossal duct cyst – a review article. Varna Med Forum. 2023;12(2):39-45. doi:10.14748/vmf.v12i2.9333.
Yankov YG, Stanislavova K, Stoev LL, Dimanov SN. Salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland – a review article. Varna Med Forum. 2023;12(2):46-54. doi:10.14748/vmf.v12i2.9337.
Yankov YG, Nenova-Nogalcheva AK, Dimanov SN, Stoev LL, Konstantinova DA. Clinically unusual pigmented lesion of the buccal mucosa: a case report. Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45050. doi:10.7759/cureus.45050.
Zaneva-Hristova DG, Borisova-Papancheva TI, Yankov YG, Papanchev GY. Different approaches to the treatment of anterior tooth fractures: three clinical cases and behavior report. Cureus. 2024;16(7):e64524. doi:10.7759/cureus.64524.
Gerova-Vatsova TI, Yotsova RV, Ali MA, Yankov YG. Current approaches to the treatment of teeth with furcation defects. Scr Sci Med Dent. 2024;10(2):7-12. doi:10.14748/ssmd.v10i2.9799.
Gerova-Vatsova TI, Yotsova RV, Ali MA, Yankov YG, Kostadinov KS. Classifications of defects affecting furcation. Varna Med Forum. 2024;13(2):113-9. doi:10.14748/vmf.v13i2.9836.
Rogan DT, Hohman MH, Ahmed A. Pediatric Facial Fractures. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; [updated 2024 Mar 16; cited 2025 Jun 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK563256/.
Simon LV, Newton EJ. Basilar Skull Fractures. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; [updated 2023 Aug 8; cited 2025 Jun 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470175/.
Klinginsmith M, Hohman MH, Katrib Z. Nasal Septal Fracture. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; [updated 2025 Jan 20; cited 2025 Jun 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555912/.
Yotsova RV, Gerova-Vatsova TI, Ali MA, Yankov YG, Kostadinov KS. Treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders: a review article. Varna Med Forum. 2024;13(2):87-93. doi:10.14748/vmf.v13i2.9834.
Yankov YG. Eagle syndrome (stylohyoid syndrome, styloid syndrome, styloid-carotid syndrome). Int J Med Sci Clin Invent. 2023;10(5):6711-5. doi:10.18535/ijmsci/v10i5.03.
Yankov YG. Auriculotemporal nerve and Frey's syndrome. J IMAB. 2023;29(4):5240-4. doi:10.5272/jimab.2023294.5240.
Zhekov ZS, Radeva SY, Yankov YG. Cushing’s syndrome and a dead fetus in pregnancy: a clinical case and behavior report. Cureus. 2024;16(3):e56769. doi:10.7759/cureus.56769.
Gerova-Vatsova TI, Yotsova RV, Ali MA, Yankov YG, Kostadinov KS. The correlation between periodontology and pregnancy. Varna Med Forum. 2024;13(2):120-7. doi:10.14748/vmf.v13i2.9837.
Magee J, Magnuson BE, Aroni DKK. Special high-risk populations in dentistry: the adolescent patient, the elderly patient, and the woman of childbearing age. Dent Clin North Am. 2020 Jul;64(3):585-95. doi:10.1016/j.cden.2020.02.007.
Yotsova RV, Gerova-Vatsova TI, Ali MA, Yankov YG. Factors influencing postextraction alveolar ridge resorption. Scr Sci Med Dent. 2024;10(2):13-8. doi:10.14748/ssmd.v10i2.9802.
Ali MA, Papanchev GY, Yotsova RV, Gerova-Vatsova TI, Yankov YG. The potential role of collagen biomaterials in periapical surgery - a review. Scr Sci Med Dent. 2024;10(2):29-37. doi:10.14748/ssmd.v10i2.9805.
Yankov YG. Socket preservation and guided bone regeneration: prerequisites for successful implant dentistry. Cureus. 2023;15(11):e48785. doi:10.7759/cureus.48785.
