Experience in hyperbaric oxygen therapy of osteoradionecrosis of the mandible

Osteoradionecrosis of the jaw is one of the late complications following radiotherapy for cancer of the head and neck. Medical treatment usually consisted of antibiotic and surgical therapy in many cases of osteoradionecrosis of the jaw. Recently, hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been used as an adjunctive treatment of osteoradionecrosis. We presented two cases of refractory osteoradionecrosis which used HBO therapy. Case 1 is a 66-year-old male, and Case 2 is a 68-year-old male. They suffered from osteoradionecrosis of the jaw after radiotherapy (60 Gy) was administered to oropharynx carcinoma. They received 68 and 64 HBO therapy respectively. Both cases showed a remission of symptoms, and laboratory data such as white cell counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and CRP during HBO therapy. But HBO therapy could not stop the enlargement of radiographic findings of a destruction of bone, and a pathological fracture occurred in case 2. Many questions in HBO therapy as an adjunctive treatment remaining to be answered, and strict clinical examination should provide the answers. (author)