Osteonecrosis of maxilla secondary to bisphosphonate therapy: a case report.

Bisphosphonate chemotherapy is commonly used in the treatment of bone diseases such as osteoporosis, Paget disease, and multiple myeloma and to limit bone pain and hypercalcemia associated with malignant metastatic bone lesions. The introduction of bisphosphonate therapy has improved the quality of life in a vast majority of patients. However, since 2003 a growing number of reports have described necrotic bone lesions (bisphosphonate—associated Osteonecrosis of the jaw [BR-ONJ]) a bone lesion affecting maxillofacial bones in patients who have received high dosage chemotherapy with intravenous bisphosphonate therapy especially when the patient undergoes subsequent dental procedures.