Osteomyelitis of the mandible as a result of sickle cell disease. Report and literature review.

Only five cases of osteomyelitis of the mandible as a result of sickle disease have been published. We report another case, which uniquely affected not only the osseous portion of the mandible, including the condyle, but also the adjacent musculature. Radical resection of the involved hard and soft tissue was necessary to cure the patient. Two possible etiologies are discussed. The first states that the sickle cell crisis caused a tissue anoxia in which this tissue became secondarily infected; the second states that the preexisting infection triggered or augmented the sickling phenomena.