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Clinical Assessment of the Treatment of 18 Cases of Denosumab-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (DRONJ)

This study aimed to evaluate the treatment outcome of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in 18 patients receiving only denosumab. The patients comprised 11 males and seven females, with a median age of 82.5 years and mean age of 77.9 years. Fifteen patients were cancer patients with bone metastasis and three had osteoporosis. Stage 2 was the most common stage (77.8%). Of the 18 patients, surgical treatment was performed in five patients, while purely conservative treatment was performed in 13. Surgical treatment achieved complete mucosal healing in 100% (5/5) and was significantly correlated with treatment outcome on univariate analysis. In purely conservative treatment, two patients achieved complete mucosal healing and two patients achieved partial ONJ resolution. The treatment efficacy rate of conservative treatment was 30.8% (4/13). In four patients who were effectively treated by conservative treatment, their sequestrums detached spontaneously and epithelialized after a median of 12.5 months and mean of 15 months of discontinuing denosumab. ONJ progressed or was unchanged in five patients even after discontinuation of denosumab treatment. It may take a long time even if conservative treatment is successful. We recommend surgical treatment even for denosumab related osteonecrosis of the jaw when patients can tolerate surgery.

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A Case of Occipital Lobe Brain Abscess Caused by Odontogenic Infection

Intracranial abscesses caused by odontogenic infections rarely occur. Furthermore, brain abscesses rarely occur in the occipital lobe. We encountered a case of an occipital lobe brain abscess caused by an odontogenic infection. A 59-year-old man had a one-year history of chronic intermittent tooth pain, mainly in the right upper molar region. Two weeks after the last toothache subsided, he developed a severe headache. He consulted the neurosurgery department of our hospital. Because a malignant tumor of the occipital lobe was suspected based on an imaging evaluation, a craniotomy was performed. Pus was encountered intraoperatively, and a definitive diagnosis of a brain abscess was reached. Postoperatively, the patient consulted our department to determine whether the source of infection was derived from the oral area. Macroscopically, few obvious abnormalities were found in the oral area. Additionally, an accurate interview was difficult due to the influence of the craniotomy. Periodontitis was not confirmed until a jawbone imaging evaluation 10 days later. Oral anaerobic bacteria were thereafter confirmed in the pus specimen from the brain. Tooth extraction and oral care were performed in parallel with the antibacterial treatment administered for the neurosurgery. The brain abscess shrank and the patient’s postoperative condition was good.

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