Four cases of jaw osteomyelitis associated with osteopetrosis

Abstract

Osteopetrosis shows scleotic changes of the skeletal bone caused by decreased numbers or functional abnormalities of osteoclasts. Patients with osteopetrosis are susceptible to jaw osteomyelitis associated with odontogenic infection. The osteomyelitis in patients with osteopetrosis is usually intractable. Osteomyelitis of the jaw was caused by infection after tooth extraction in all four cases reported here. Three of the four cases involved only the maxilla. The lesion recurred after only curettage, sequestrectomy, or both in all cases. Segmental mandibulectomy is recommended to radically cure osteopetrosis.