Mandibular osteomyelitis on panoramic radiographs: a case series

  • Ifa Ariefah Hs Thala Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia 90245
  • Dwi Putri Wulansari Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia 90245 http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5445-8197
  • Muhammad Irfan Rasul Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia 90245 http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6679-8885

Abstract

Objectives: This series of cases aims to see an extension of a lesion using panoramic radiographs to help establish a diagnosis in three cases in the mandible. Osteomyelitis occurs more often in the mandible than in the maxilla because the maxilla has a better blood supply than the mandible, with relatively thinner cortical and fewer medullary cavities.
Case Report: Three female patients presented with nearly identical complaints, including frequent pus discharge, unpleasant odor, and swelling. Only two of the patients had a history of tooth extraction. All three were referred to the university dental hospital (RSGM) for further management. Panoramic radiographs revealed similar findings among the three cases, including mixed radiopaque-radiolucent images with irregular shapes and diffuse borders. In two patients, sequestra were visible in the right and left corpus regions of the mandible. In contrast, the third patient showed a slightly different presentation: a well-defined, irregular radiopaque mass protruding from the top of the alveolar bone, localized at the crest of the ridge. One of the patients had a history of systemic diseases, specifically hypertension which was under control.
Conclusion: In these three cases, a panoramic X-ray examination was the only support for identifying the characteristics of lesion expansion and was considered sufficient as a reference for patient management. However, a definitive diagnosis still requires a histopathological examination.

Author Biographies

Ifa Ariefah Hs Thala, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia 90245
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Residency Program
Dwi Putri Wulansari, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia 90245
Staff
Muhammad Irfan Rasul, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia 90245
Staff

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Published
2025-06-09
How to Cite
THALA, Ifa Ariefah Hs; WULANSARI, Dwi Putri; RASUL, Muhammad Irfan. Mandibular osteomyelitis on panoramic radiographs: a case series. Jurnal Radiologi Dentomaksilofasial Indonesia (JRDI), [S.l.], v. 9, n. 1, p. 47-54, june 2025. ISSN 2686-1321. Available at: <http://jurnal.pdgi.or.id/index.php/jrdi/article/view/1264>. Date accessed: 04 july 2025. doi: https://doi.org/10.32793/jrdi.v9i1.1264.

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