Sixty cases of extreme osteonecrosis and osteomyelitis of the mandible and maxilla in a West African population

A description of 60 cases of extreme osteonecrosis and osteomyelitis of the jaws is presented. The patients attended the dental clinics of the medical charity organisation Mercy Ships, over a 2.5-year period when the hospital ship the 'Africa Mercy' was docked in the West African countries of Liberia, Benin and Togo. Possible reasons for the development of these clinical conditions are discussed including aetiologies, genetics (coagulopathies, osteopetrosis), Gorham's disease, infective conditions (tuberculosis, herpes zoster, HIV infection, osteomyelitis), toxicity (bisphosphonates, spider bites), and environmental effects (phossy jaw, radium jaw). The possible causes of these cases of osteonecrosis and osteomyelitis of the jaw are under investigation. © 2012 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.