Hyperbaric oxygen for adjuvant therapy for chronically recurrent mandibular osteomyelitis in childhood and adolescence.

PURPOSE: In this article, the question of whether adjuvant hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) has a positive effect when treating chronically recurrent mandibular osteomyelitis in children and adolescents is discussed.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Over a period of 5 years, 4 cases were observed, 3 of which were submitted to adjuvant HBO. Details on the modalities of this type of treatment and the simultaneous intravenous administration of high doses of antibiotics are reported.

RESULTS: All 3 patients have been free of any symptoms from 20 to 74 months (mean, 41 months) and therefore may most likely be regarded as healed.

CONCLUSION: The small number of cases does not allow a final statement on the extent to which HBO contributed to the positive outcome. However, in our opinion, HBO is a most promising therapeutic option. Finally, the problems involved in prospective randomized studies of this rare disease are discussed in detail.