title: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: a dentist's nightmare.
abstract: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a complication in patients who are on anti-bone resorptive drugs. These drugs are prescribed for patients with multiple myeloma, osteoporosis, metastatic carcinoma and Paget's disease. Common anti-bone resorptive drugs such as bisphosphonate and monoclonal antibodies such as denosumab are prescribed for these patients to prevent bone resorption. Although very effective in preventing bone resorption, a complication arising from these groups of drugs is the development of osteomyelitis of the jaw. This medication-related osteonecrosis occurs only in the jaw bones. It could mimic a metastatic jaw tumour when a patient reports to the dental surgeon with pain and swelling in the jaw. This case report describes MRONJ in a 50-year-old Indian woman. This possible painful drug-induced complication of jaw bones can be prevented if proper medical history is taken and management protocol is followed in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Saveetha University, Saveetha Dental College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muthukrishnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Saveetha University, Saveetha Dental College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Laliytha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bijai Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Saveetha University, Saveetha Dental College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Gomathi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramalingam
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D059266:Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D063168:Mandibular Osteotomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents