Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw

Bisphosphonates may cause extensive osteonecrosis of the mandible or maxilla. This rare, but serious and difficult-to-treat complication is known as BRONJ (bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw). If one is not familiar with its clinical presentation, the condition could be confused with a malignant tumor, resulting in unnecessary additional diagnostics. In this article, a patient with BRONJ is discussed and an overview of the literature is given.