Diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis of the mandible is now considered a local manifestation of SAPHO syndrome. This rare condition is thought to be of auto-inflammatory origin. The myriad of treatments shown in the literature, are basically empirical and reflect its unknown origin. We present a clinical case of refractory DSO treated with an anti-TNF drug (etanercept) with complete clinical remission. We advise against radical surgery and an interdisciplinary approach is recommended. A systematic literature review was also conducted.
Keywords: Anti-TNF; Diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis; SHAPO syndrome.
Copyright © 2014 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.