[Osteomyelitis of the jaws - review of the literature and a case report].

Osteomyelitis (OM), is a rare disease in developed countries. It is defined as a progressive inflammation of the bone and the bone marrow, and characterized by formation of necrotic bone. This disease is more common in the lower jaw, which resembles the structure of a long bone. However, there are histologic and microbiologic characteristics that constitute important factors in the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease and therefore it is not possible to make an analogy from OM of long bones to OM of the jaws. The diagnosis of OM is based on a detailed anamnesis, clinical findings, laboratory tests and imaging. The treatment of OM consists of surgical treatment, which is considered the mainstay of the treatment, and antibiotic treatment, parenteral and oral which is considered as complementary therapy. There are several surgical procedures, according to the extent of the lesion, which include: drainage, curettage, sequestrectomy, saucerization, decortications and resection. A case of osteomyelitis of the lower jaw after dental treatment is presented. The patient underwent segmental resection and reconstruction.