[Circumscribed mandibular osteitis in children due to hematogenous dissemination. Apropos of 5 clinical cases].

In children, mandibular swelling associated with an X-ray bone osteolysis may correspond to tumoral or infection diseases. Circumscribed osteitis of a child's mandibula, with no dental etiology occurs around 7-years of age, adjacent to a healthy first molar. Five cases reports were analyzed. Clinically, it is a bone swelling of the mandibula's lateral cortical associated with a soft tissue swelling. X-ray signs were not specific but all cases showed a bone lacuna with sharp outlines. Such clinical and X-ray signs strongly suggest diagnosis of osteitis which has a higher incidence than malignant tumors. The lack of dental pathology suggests bloodstream dissemination from another localized sepsis. Surgical removal of pathologic bone in addition to antibiotics (6 or 8 weeks) appears to be an effective treatment.