Osteomyelitis Unraveling Different Genre of Osteopetrosis: A Case Series

Osteopetrosis is a rare inherited genetic disease. Three distinct forms of the disease have been recognized, of which autosomal dominant Osteopetrosis is the most common. Malfunctioning of osteoclastic activity and regular osteoblastic activity causes defective bone remodelling, which hampers the bone turnover rate. This increased formation of immature bone can lead to abnormal thickening of cortical bones, which causes narrowing and obliteration of medullary cavities. Patients with osteopetrosis can show following characteristic features: fragility of bones predisposing it to fracture, osteomyelitis, hematopoietic insufficiency, growth impairment, disturbed tooth eruption cranial nerve palsies. This paper report a case series of osteomyelitis which unmasked the presence of osteopetrosis in the patient.

Here, we report two cases of chronic osteomyelitis of the mandible leading to a diagnosis of Osteopetrosis.