RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to compare a group of patients with Primary Chronic Osteomyelitis of the mandible (PCO) and a group with Secondary Chronic Osteomyelitis of the mandible (SCO) to support the classification of osteomyelitis of the jaws defined by Eyrich et al. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records of patients with chronic osteomyelitis of the mandible were screened and relevant clinical data was recorded retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups according the criteria proposed by Eyrich et al.: one group with PCO and one with SCO. Comparison was made between these two groups. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were included, 10 in the PCO group, and 12 in the SCO group. The main differences between the two groups concerned the duration of the symptoms (100% of the cases in the PCO group lasted more than 2years, versus 8.3% in the SCO group, P<0.05), computed tomography images of bone sclerosis and bone hypertrophy (present in respectively 100% and 50% of the patients in the PCO group, vs. 36.4% and 0% in the SCO group, P<0.05), and the treatment (100% of surgical decortication and 80% of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug or steroids use in the PCO group vs. 25% and 0% in the SCO group, P<0.05). DISCUSSION: The classification proposed by Eyrich et al. seems relevant according to the results of our study, PCO and SCO differing especially on the duration of the symptoms, the radiologic findings and the treatment and its outcomes.