# Infraorbital Swelling Induced by an Inadvertent Local Anesthesia Technique in a Six-Year-Old Female Child: A Clinical Case Report

**Authors:** Amilia Elizabeth, Rathina Venkateswaran, Parisa N Baghkomeh, Navami Gopan, Sreni K S

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.85748 · Cureus · 2025-06-11

## TL;DR

A six-year-old girl experienced infraorbital swelling after a local anesthetic injection went wrong during a dental procedure, highlighting the need for careful technique in pediatric patients.

## Contribution

This case report highlights a rare complication of local anesthesia in children and offers insights into its prevention and management.

## Key findings

- Swelling occurred due to excessive needle penetration during local anesthetic administration in a child.
- Symptoms resolved within four hours after treatment with eye drops and ointment.
- The case emphasizes the importance of technique and patient cooperation in pediatric dental procedures.

## Abstract

Local anesthesia (LA) plays a crucial role in managing pain during dental procedures, but its administration must be handled with care, particularly in children, where complications are not uncommon. This report presents a case involving a six-year-old girl who had a broken upper right first molar due to decay for the past three months. An extraction was planned under LA. Following the infiltration technique of LA administration using 2% lignocaine solution with 1:80,000 adrenaline, swelling appeared in the right infraorbital region almost immediately. The swelling resulted from inadvertent deposition of the anesthetic in the infraorbital area due to excessive needle penetration, which occurred as the child became uncooperative during the injection. The patient was prescribed analgesic eye drops and a topical ophthalmic ointment by the ophthalmologist, and the symptoms started subsiding within four hours. This report also explores prevention and management strategies for such complications in pediatric dental care.

## Linked entities

- **Chemicals:** lignocaine (PubChem CID 3676), adrenaline (PubChem CID 838)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** pain (MESH:D010146), Swelling (MESH:D004487)
- **Chemicals:** lignocaine (MESH:D008012), adrenaline (MESH:D004837)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

4 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12254045/full.md

## References

16 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12254045/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12254045