What Researchers Did
Researchers reported on an 80-year-old woman with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy and other treatments, observing changes with FDG-PET.
What They Found
After 20 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the patient's clinical symptoms resolved. Concurrently, the SUVmax of FDG-PET decreased significantly from 4.5 to 2.5, while other imaging modalities showed no notable changes. Following minor surgery and additional HBO therapy, the patient's recovery was excellent.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This case report suggests that FDG-PET imaging could potentially help monitor the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw. If confirmed by larger studies, this could offer a way to assess treatment response and guide care for Canadian patients with this condition.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The primary limitation of this study is that it is a single case report, meaning its findings cannot be generalized to a broader patient population without further research.