The 3rd International Symposium on Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (MRONJ) was held on November 14-15, 2019 in Copenhagen, Denmark and was attended primarily by dentists and oral surgeons with an interest in MRONJ.
Chaired by Morten Schiødt, DDS, Dr.Odont (Denmark), the Symposium featured a faculty of 13 widely recognized European experts in MRONJ, who provided updates on recent research in the areas of classification, clinical manifestations, imaging, treatment, and prevention. The speakers included MASCC and ISOO members Bente Brokstad Herlofson, DDS, PhD (Norway) and Ourania Nicolatou-Galitis, DDS, MSc, DrDent (Greece).
Dr. Herlofson presented an update on the Scandinavian ONJ Cohort Study, an 8-year research collaboration on osteonecrosis of the jaw in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. More than 1500 cases have been enrolled so far. Data from this study will help to fill current knowledge gaps in the epidemiology, pathogenesis, risk factors, treatment, and prognosis of ONJ, and will ultimately serve to improve patient outcomes.
Dr. Nicolatou-Galitis discussed the histopathological, radiological, and clinical evidence regarding the role of periodontal and dental disease in MRONJ. Histological alveolar bone necrosis has been documented in patients at the time of tooth extraction with dental or periodontal infection, indicating that bone (or osteo) necrosis had developed before extraction. Painful and purulent teeth may represent early MRONJ (non-exposed type), which can be successfully treated if properly diagnosed.
Other presenters included Sven Erik Nørholt, DDS, PhD, Sanne Werner Møller Andersen, MD, and Thomas Kofod, MD (Denmark), Stefano Fedele, DDS, PhD, and Vinod Patel, MFDS, RCS (England), Sven Otto, MD, DDS, and Oliver Ristow, MD, DDS (Germany), Alberto Bedogni, MD (Italy), Cecilia Larsson Wexell, DDS, PhD (Sweden), and Roman Guggenberger, MD (Switzerland).
Dr. Otto presented the results of the 2018 Copenhagen MRONJ Workshop, recently published by Schiødt et al. in the Journal Oral Diseases.1 Dr. Otto will serve as Director of the MRONJ Workshop and Symposium to be held in Germany in 2020 and 2021.
_______________________________________
1 Schiødt M, Otto S, Fedele S, Bedogni A, Nicolatou-Galitis O, Guggenberger R, Herlofson BB, Ristow O, Kofod T. Workshop of European Task Force on Medication Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: Current Challenges. Oral Dis. 2019 Oct;25(7):1815-1821.
