Maxilla osteonecrosis : a differential diagnosis in patients with metastatic cancer on bisphosphonates

Abstract EN

Bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis (BON) of the mandible and/or maxilla is an increasingly recognized, though still rare, complication of bisphosphonate therapy.

In the present case, the patient presented with a seven-month history of maxillary sinusitis and pain, and was originally diagnosed with a bony metastasis from her primary breast cancer.

However, surgical excision and biopsy led to a diagnosis of BON of the maxilla.

As bisphosphonates are often prescribed for patients with metastatic disease, it is important to recognize that BON may present similarly to bony metastases