What Researchers Did
Researchers looked at whether a PET scan could help monitor how a jaw bone condition called MRONJ responds to hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
What They Found
In this clinical study, FDG-PET scans of patients with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) showed significantly higher SUVmax readings (a measure of metabolic activity at the lesion) compared with other conditions examined. After hyperbaric oxygen therapy combined with conservative surgery, SUVmax readings dropped significantly from their pre-treatment levels. Three-phase bone scan blood-pool images did not change significantly, but the perfusion and bone-uptake phases, along with the PET scans, showed a marked response to the therapy. The authors concluded that FDG-PET is useful for monitoring the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on MRONJ.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The authors describe these as preliminary results, and the abstract does not state the number of patients studied, include a control group, or report longer-term outcomes, which limits how broadly the findings can be applied.