THE USE OF CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF MEDICATION-RELATED OSTEONECROSIS OF THE JAW

Abstract

In the diagnosis of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), imaging may have an important role in determining the extent of the disease, diagnosing early stages of osteonecrosis, identifying a potential association between metastasis of the jaw and ONJ lesions, excluding other diseases or complications of the jaws, such as fractures, and evaluating the jaw before surgical orofacial procedures. Since the appearance of ONJ at imaging is variable and very often nonspecific, imaging findings should always be related to the clinical context. The panoramic radiography is the most often used imaging technique in cases of ONJ, whereas CBCT is an adequate tool in evaluating bone involvement, in addition to offering the advantage that destructive processes can be seen at high resolution.

Keywords

• osteonecrosis of the jaw
• antiresorbtive agents
• cone-beam computed tomography