Introduction
For weeks, one feels an unpleasant pain in the oral cavity, especially near a tooth. The pain plagues you very much, but a visit to the dentist has not been possible yet. And suddenly the pain disappears.
Has the inflammation around the tooth subsided again? How can the sudden easing of the pain be explained? A fistula can be the possible cause. Its tubular connection could explain the reduction of the inflammation. But what exactly is a fistula?
Definition
A fistula is a tubular or reticular connection between an internal hollow organ (this can also be an abscess) and other organs, or to the body surface. If it is the former, one speaks of internal fistulas, as they can develop between the stomach and the large intestine, for example. The latter is called outer fistula.
This can be from the intestine to the skin, or if you refer to the oral cavity, from an abscess, which is now connected to the mucous membrane. Fistulas do not only occur in the mouth, but can develop everywhere. Various examples are: Intestinal fistulas, anal fistulas, vaginal fistulas or fistulas between vessels, such as the carotid sinus cavernosus fistula.
The latter is a vascular anomaly between arteries and the venous blood conductors of the brain. All fistulas are not present from birth, but develop during the course of a disease pattern and are pathological. More precisely, two types of fistulas can be distinguished.
The tubular and the labial fistulas. The tubular fistula is lined with granulation tissue (young connective tissue that is permeated by many capillaries and therefore appears granular). It can heal on its own after the cause has been eliminated.
The situation is different with lip fistulas. These have an epithelial lining (cell layer) and must be surgically removed, even after the cause has healed. There are three causes that cause the formation of a fistula.
On the one hand, there are chronic inflammations, such as Crohn’s disease (an intestinal disease that can occur throughout the entire digestive tract). On the other hand, an acute inflammation, such as an abscess, can also lead to the formation of a fistula. An abscess is a newly formed capsule in the tissue that contains pus inside.
The third possibility is an external influence, such as an accident or surgery. The task of the fistula is clearly defined. Due to its tubular, hollow form, it creates a new way to remove pus. If an abscess persists and the inflammation continues so that new pus is added, either the abscess bursts or the body forms a drainage system, namely the fistula.
