Korean J Oral Maxillofac Radiol.  2009 Sep;39(3):163-168.

Study on the hard tissue changes in osteomyelitis of the jaws using CT image

• An CH
• Choi BR
• Huh KH
• Yi WJ
• Lee SS
• Choi SC

Abstract

PURPOSE
To assess the clinical findings and hard tissue changes of osteomyelitis of the jaws using computed tomographic (CT) image analysis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We reviewed and interpreted the CT images of 163 patients (64 males and 99 females, age range from 10 to 87 years) who visited the Seoul National University Dental Hospital from April 23, 2006 to December 31, 2008 and were diagnosed as osteomyelitis of the jaws through clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic examination. Each CT findings was investigated for frequency, correlation with age and gender.
RESULTS
Of the 163 patients, 31 (19.0%) were affected on the maxilla, 135 (82.8%) were affected on the mandible, and 3 (1.8%) were affected on the both jaws simultaneously. The mean age of the patients who were affected on the maxilla was 61.0 years and that of the patients who were affected on the mandible was 56.2 years. On the maxilla, the most frequent site of disease was the posterior area (83.9%) and on the mandible, mandibular body (83.0%), followed by angle (48.1%), ramus (38.5%), condyle (13.3%), incisal area (9.6%), and coronoid process (3.0%). Among the 31 maxillary osteomyelitis, defect in the trabecular bone was observed in 28 (90.3%), osteosclerosis 20 (64.5%), defect in the cortical bone 27 (87.1%), sequestrum 17 (54.8%), and periosteal reaction 2 (6.5%). Among the 135 mandibular osteomyelitis, defect in the trabecular bone was observed in 100 (74.1%), osteosclerosis 104 (77.0%), defect in the cortical bone 116 (85.9%), sequestrum 36 (26.7%), and periosteal reaction 67 (49.6%).
CONCLUSION
Of our cases, the maxillary osteomyelitis was visibly observed more frequently in females than males. The incidence is the highest in seventies (28.8%) and the lowest in teens (3.1%). The osteomyelitis of the jaws was observed more frequently in males than females before the age of 50, and observed more frequently in females after the age of 50. The most noticeable point was that the sequestrum was observed more often on maxillary osteomyelitis and the periosteal reaction was observed more often on mandibular osteomyelitis.

Keyword

Osteomyelitis; Maxilla; Mandible; Tomography, Computed

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Female
Humans
Incidence
Jaw
Male
Mandible
Maxilla
Osteomyelitis
Osteosclerosis