Jaw osteomyelitis

Short characteristic of a disease

Osteomyelitis of a jaw is one of the most dangerous diseases of a bone tissue. It strikes all elements of a bone, is followed by development of inflammatory and infectious processes, has a set of serious complications. It is enough to tell that jaw osteomyelitis quite often leads to generalization – the phenomenon at which not only a certain area of marrow, but also all bone system of the person in general suffers.

Damages of a bone tissue are known to doctors for a long time. The first references of osteomyelitis of a jaw meet in Avicenna, Galen, Hippocrates and Paracelsus's works, however the reasons and techniques of treatment of inflammations were found only at the end of the 19th century. Then researchers came to a conclusion that osteomyelitis of a mandible is caused by golden staphylococcus. Today gram-negative bacteria, a pyocyanic stick, a klebsiyella and colibacillus are added to number of contagiums. Besides, at the diagnosis jaw osteomyelitis, treatment means antiviral therapy as the inflammation develops in more than 50% of the registered cases against the background of viral infections.

As for ways of penetration of bacteria and viruses to an organism, as a rule, they filter through a painful tooth, or through blood as a result of traumatizing the maxillary device.

 Jaw osteomyelitis types

The dontogenous form of a disease is a consequence of the started caries. That is why timely sealing of channels of teeth is so important. From a carious cavity the infection gets into a pulp, and then and into a bone tissue directly through a fang. Besides, microorganisms can extend also on absorbent vessels. Dontogenous osteomyelitis of a mandible develops in 70% of cases at the patient. The rest of defeats is the share of an upper jaw.

Hematogenous osteomyelitis of a jaw is observed at transmission of infection from primary center of an inflammation on healthy sites of fabric. Sources of infection are: tonsillitis and other chronic diseases, acute infections, inflammatory processes.

Acute osteomyelitis of a jaw is a consequence of reaction of an organism to penetration of an infection. The patient feels a headache, an indisposition, weakness, lack of appetite, a problem with a dream. Also at people body temperature up to 38 degrees increases. At the diagnosis acute osteomyelitis of a jaw, treatment has to begin as soon as possible as the patient cannot normally eat because of constant pains and discomfort at a food chewing. In addition, in process of development of infectious process, at the person reddening of a mucous membrane of a mouth, a hyperadenosis and strong mobility of the teeth adjoining to the inflammation center is noted. In certain cases acute osteomyelitis of a mandible leads to damage of a spleen and liver.

Subacute osteomyelitis of a jaw develops if there was no adequate treatment of an acute form. The patient has fistulas and sequesters – devitalized sites of skin. At the same time typical symptoms of an inflammation can become dull because of outflow of liquid and pus, but nothing means as inflammatory process in a bone tissue continues, and every day it becomes more and more dangerous.

Chronic osteomyelitis of a jaw – proceeds is long, and for some time the patient has all external signs of an absolute recovery. Certainly, it is only visibility as inflammatory process continues to develop and, sooner or later, leads to new exacerbations, formation of fistulas, rejection of dead fabrics and formation of sequesters.

 Jaw osteomyelitis symptoms

Having summed up all aforesaid, we can allocate several main symptoms of a disease:

• existence of symptoms of poisoning (headache, bad dream, weakness, temperature increase);
• pain around the infected tooth which has property to amplify at a palpation or percussion;
• mobility of teeth in the field of infection;
• swelling of a mucous membrane;
• hyperadenosis.

Jaw osteomyelitis – treatment of a disease

First of all, process of treatment means removal of the infected tooth. Let's note that osteomyelitis of a mandible belongs just to those cases when extraction of tooth is absolutely necessary, otherwise process of an inflammation will extend to healthy fabrics and it will be far more difficult to stop it. Also to patients the early periostotomy – the procedure at which periosteum cuts for free removal of exudate become (liquid which is formed at development of an infection and dying off of fabrics) is appointed. Reception of antibiotics, washing of a bone cavity by antiseptic agents and symptomatic therapy is shown to patients. In especially hard cases doctors make the decision on surgical removal of sequesters.