title: Osteoradionecrosis of the jaws as a side effect of radiotherapy of head and neck tumour patients--a report of a thirty year retrospective review.
abstract: This retrospective study aimed to demonstrate the incidence and the aetiological factors involved in osteoradionecrosis (ORN) in a group of 830 head and neck tumour patients who received radiotherapy between 1969 and 1999. The data showed an over all incidence of 8.2% and a 3-fold higher incidence for men than for women. Osteoradionecrosis was most commonly located in the body of the mandible. Concerning the risk factors, a negative influence was shown for advanced tumours, segmental resections of the mandible and pre-/post-radiation tooth extractions. Tooth extractions were found to be responsible for 50% of all cases. The osteoradionecroses were observed significantly earlier in patients who received pre-surgical radiotherapy than those who received post-surgical radiotherapy. Combined pre-surgical radio- and chemotherapy significantly hastened the appearance of osteoradionecrosis compared to pre-surgical radiotherapy alone. Only 40% of patients with osteoradionecrosis could be healed completely by means of surgery and antibiotic medication. Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) therapy was performed only in individual cases. The data suggest that osteoradionecrosis has a multifactorial aetiology. Therefore, a very close follow-up of tumour patients and a strict prophylactic management are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reuther
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mende
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kübler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016371:Cranial Irradiation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D007571:Jaw Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010025:Osteoradionecrosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents