Narrative [corrected] review: bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis of the jaws.

Osteonecrosis of the jaws is a recently described adverse side effect of bisphosphonate therapy. Patients with multiple myeloma and metastatic carcinoma to the skeleton who are receiving intravenous, nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates are at greatest risk for osteonecrosis of the jaws; these patients represent 94% of published cases. The mandible is more commonly affected than the maxilla (2:1 ratio), and 60% of cases are preceded by a dental surgical procedure.

Oral mucositis and the clinical and economic outcomes of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between oral mucositis and selected clinical and economic outcomes in blood and marrow transplant patients.

Patients And Methods: Subjects consisted of 92 transplant patients from eight centers who participated in a multinational pilot study of a new oral mucositis scoring system (Oral Mucositis Assessment Scale [OMAS]). In the pilot study, patients were evaluated for erythema and ulceration/pseudomembrane formation beginning on the first day of conditioning and continuing for 28 days.

Oral recrudescent herpes simplex virus infection.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the frequency of involvement of different intraoral sites by oral recrudescent herpes simplex virus in immunocompromised patients and whether keratinized intraoral sites are always affected by this virus.

Study Design: The records of 30 hospitalized patients who had oral ulcers culture positive for herpes simplex virus were reviewed for the location of oral ulcers, febrile episodes, and medical diagnoses.

Results: The data revealed that oral recrudescent herpes simplex virus may involve any intraoral site in immunocompromised patients with nonkeratinized sites representing approximately half of all sites; this is more frequent than has been previously reported.