BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To review neuralgia inducing cavitational osteonecrosis (NICO), its differential diagnosis with regard to major facial pains as well as its management. CONTENTS: NICO is a disease with numerous causes, such as trauma, infections, use of local anesthetics with vasoconstrictors which decrease blood flow inside the bone, direct or indirect application of heavy metals and steroids after oral surgeries, use of nicotine and coagulation problems. The diagnosis is based on the clinical history associated to pain quality, duration and in general ineffective therapeutic response to different neuromodulators. Complementary exams are standard periapical X-rays of the area to be investigated, panoramic X-rays and CT, which may show or not unilocular radiolucent foci. Scintigraphy normally shows an area of increased uptake. Treatment may be clinical with anticoagulants, anabolic steroids or local antibiotic injection; or surgical promoting local bleeding by osteotomy or ostectomy, depending on NICO level and extension. CONCLUSION: The search for new drugs less detrimental for bone tissues and more information to dentists about NICO may help decreasing its incidence by establishing an earlier diagnosis, thus making different management techniques more effective.
Clinical treatment; Neuralgia inducing cavitational osteonecrosis; Neuropathic pain; Orofacial pain; Surgical treatment
