OSTEORADIONECROSIS OF THE JAWS: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Abstract

Objective To describe the profile of individuals diagnosed with osteoradionecrosis of the jaws at a reference center for oral lesions from 2010 to 2016. Study Design This is a cross-sectional study where sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle variables were obtained from clinical records and analyzed descriptively. Results There were 9 cases of osteoradionecrosis diagnosed in individuals with a mean age of 61.7 years. From those, the majority occurred in males (88.9%), with low educational level (55.5%), and smokers (44.4%). History of squamous cell carcinoma was observed in 77.8% of the individuals, mainly located in the alveolar mucosa (22.2%), tongue, mouth floor, and lower lip (11.1%). Combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy was the most used for tumor treatment (55.6%). Osteoradionecrosis lesions were predominantly in the mandibular region (77.8%), and posttreatment radiotherapeutic exodontia was performed by 33.3% of the individuals. Conclusions Recognition of the profile of individuals at greater risk for osteoradionecrosis, their awareness of preventive measures, and compliance with protocols before, during, and after head and neck radiotherapy are important measures to prevent osteoradionecrosis. To describe the profile of individuals diagnosed with osteoradionecrosis of the jaws at a reference center for oral lesions from 2010 to 2016. This is a cross-sectional study where sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle variables were obtained from clinical records and analyzed descriptively. There were 9 cases of osteoradionecrosis diagnosed in individuals with a mean age of 61.7 years. From those, the majority occurred in males (88.9%), with low educational level (55.5%), and smokers (44.4%). History of squamous cell carcinoma was observed in 77.8% of the individuals, mainly located in the alveolar mucosa (22.2%), tongue, mouth floor, and lower lip (11.1%). Combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy was the most used for tumor treatment (55.6%). Osteoradionecrosis lesions were predominantly in the mandibular region (77.8%), and posttreatment radiotherapeutic exodontia was performed by 33.3% of the individuals. Recognition of the profile of individuals at greater risk for osteoradionecrosis, their awareness of preventive measures, and compliance with protocols before, during, and after head and neck radiotherapy are important measures to prevent osteoradionecrosis.