Diagnosis and management of late onset osteoradionecrosis of the mandible

Abstract

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is frequently encountered in clinical dental practice. The identification and management of such a lesion is often challenging. This clinical report is based on a patient who had radiation therapy to the head and neck region for a salivary gland malignancy. The patient developed ORN of the mandible 12 years later. This demonstrates the need to understand the pathophysiology of this condition better than we currently know.

Keywords

• Hyperbaric oxygen, mandible, osteoradionecrosis, radiation therapy