Use of a generic violet light in the surgical management of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws: a technical note.

PURPOSE: Fluorescence-guided surgery has been recommended for the diagnosis of bone margins in cases of mandibular osteonecrosis. In this article, we report a case in which a generic violet light was used in order to activate bone fluorescence after the administration of tetracycline derivatives, as an alternative to a specific, more expensive equipment that is commercially available for this purpose. The patient had been using alendronate for osteoporosis, resulting in medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws.

METHODS: The treatment protocol includes preoperative administration of doxycycline and the application of a generic violet light during surgery in order to observe the fluorescence of bone in response to excitation through the light emitted by this device.

RESULTS: With an effective visualization of the limit between healthy and devitalized bone tissue, it was possible to perform the necrotic tissue removal. The lesion regressed from stage 2 to stage 0, with no clinical or radiographic evidence of necrotic bone.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest the feasibility of using a generic violet light source as a low-cost alternative for fluorescence-guided surgery.