Osteonecrosis of Maxilla in Wegener's Granulomatosis: Case Report

ABSTRACT

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology characterized by the triad of necrotizing granulomatous lesion in the upper and lower respiratory tracts or both, disseminated vasculitis involving both small arteries and veins, and necrotizing glomerulonephritis. The most common oral lesions associated with WG are ulceration and strawberry gingivitis. A 47-years old man in medical care associated WG was consulted our Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the chief complaint of toothaches. Pre-operative panorama showed the alveolar radiolucency and the loss of lamina dura regarding the left upper teeth. An oropharyngeal magnetic resonance imaging also revealed the increased bone marrow signal intensity on the left maxilla. Under the impression of maxillary osteonecrosis due to WG, maxillary saucerization with removal of involved teeth was performed. We obtained good results and report the first case of WG in Korea, with the review of literatures regarding oral and general systemic features.