Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in oncological patients with skeletal metastases: conservative treatment is effective up to stage 2.

There is currently no widespread strategy for treating medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), so our aim was to evaluate retrospectively the outcome of a minimally invasive treatment protocol for patients with both MRONJ and cancer. We designed a retrospective cohort study of patients with cancer who had been diagnosed with MRONJ after treatment with denosumab or bisphosphonates given intravenously. Primary outcome measures were improvement in the clinical stage of MRONJ and the time course to its resolution. Secondary outcome measures included the incidence of risk factors and patterns of treatment. Seventy-nine patients with 109 lesions were enrolled, and their characteristics, presentation of the lesions, complications, and relations to previous oral interventions were recorded. Treatment depended on the stage of disease, and included conservative medical, and minimally-invasive surgical, procedures. There was complete healing and resolution of disease in 38/57 stage 1 lesions, 30/47 stage 2 lesions, and 3/5 stage 3 lesions. The symptoms improved in 16/47 stage 2 lesions, and 2/5 stage 3 lesions. Fifteen of the stage 1 lesions, and one of the stage 2 lesions, failed to respond. Despite the possibility of an aggressive approach to the treatment of MRONJ, conservative treatment remains the first line of defence as regression is obvious, with evidence of no evolution to a higher stage. In our experience surgical intervention is recommended in persistent stage 3 MRONJ that has failed to respond to conservative treatment.

Osteoradionecrosis and medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: similarities and differences.

The purpose of this study was to compare medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) with osteoradionecrosis (ORN). Group 1 comprised 74 MRONJ patients (93 lesions) and group 2 comprised 59 ORN patients (69 lesions). Patient characteristics, clinical presentation of the lesions, the presence of complications, and the relationship with previous dental extractions were analyzed for both groups. Significant differences were found between the groups with regard to the characteristics of the patient populations, extraction as the precipitating event, the type of initial complaint, the prevalence of pain, and the location of the lesions. In the ORN group, significantly more patients complained of pain (P=0.0108) compared with the MRONJ group. Furthermore, significantly more pathological fractures (P<0.0001) and skin fistulae (P<0.0001) occurred in the ORN group. The treatment was more often conservative in the MRONJ group than in the ORN group (61.3% vs. 36.2%). Despite similarities in terms of imaging, risk factors, prevention, and treatment, MRONJ and ORN are two distinct pathological entities, as highlighted by the differences in patient characteristics, the initial clinical presentation, course of the disease, and outcome.

Prenatal diagnosis of mosaic tetrasomy 12p/trisomy 12p by fluorescent in situ hybridization in amniotic fluid cells: a case report of Pallister-Killian syndrome.

A prenatally detected case of a rare mosaic tetrasomy 12p/trisomy 12p is reported, presenting as the well-known accessory isochromosome 12p and a supernumerary single 12p marker in 17/24 and 6/24 clones of cultured amniotic fluid cells, respectively. The chromosomal nature of both marker chromosomes was investigated in cultured amniotic fluid cells by fluorescent in situ hybridization with various probes: the 12-centromeric probes p alpha 12H8 and D12Z3, a whole chromosome 12 paint, and the chromosome 12p-specific paint M28. DNA analysis revealed a maternal origin of the extra 12p material. After counselling, the parents requested termination of pregnancy. Inspection and autopsy of the fetus revealed many of the dysmorphisms and internal structural abnormalities of the Pallister-Killian syndrome.