Serum magnesium levels in patients with deep neck space abscess: A case-control study

Objective: Deep neck space abscess (DNSA) is a serious infection associated with immune response. Magnesium has fundamental multifunctions in the body. Its insufficiency is involved in imm & uuml;ne weakness and susceptibility to infectious diseases. The present study addressed serum magnesium status in patients with DNSA. Herein, we hypothesized that patients with DNSA may have decreased serum magnesium concentration. Materials and Methods: In the study, 23 patients with DNSA and 23 matched healthy individuals were included. The atomic absorption spectrometry was used to measure serum magnesium concentration. The groups were compared statistically for demographics and serum magnesium concentration. Results: Patients with DNSA and healthy controls were statistically similar in age (p = .625), gender (p = 1.0), and smoking status (p = 1.0). However, patients with DNSA had significantly decreased serum magnesium concentration (mu g/dL) than healthy controls [25.23 +/- 4.98 (19.9-42.2) versus 31.98 +/- 5.36 (26.8-40.8)], (p < .001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that decreased serum magnesium concentration is associated with DNSA. It is the first report on the research topic, and may inspire future studies.