Systematic review of the use of pentoxifylline and tocopherol for the treatment of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

OBJECTIVE

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a pathologic process resulting in progressive destruction of the jaws. There are no established guidelines for the medical management of MRONJ. Interest in pentoxifylline and tocopherol is growing because these agents have been shown to be effective in treating osteoradionecrosis of the jaw. This review evaluates the clinical usefulness of pentoxifylline and tocopherol in treating MRONJ.

STUDY

DESIGN

Literature databases were searched for relevant reports of pentoxifylline and tocopherol in treating MRONJ. Only English-language reports and human studies were considered.

RESULTS

There were 3 published observational studies and 2 abstracts relevant to this topic. The combination of pentoxifylline and tocopherol is associated with subjective and objective improvements and no major adverse outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Pentoxifylline and tocopherol has been demonstrated to be effective for managing MRONJ nonsurgically, and, thus, this treatment modality holds promise. However, larger clinical studies are needed to optimize dose and duration.