Disodium clodronate in the treatment of diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis (DSO) of the mandible

Diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis (DSO) of the mandible is a chronic conditi on, the cause of which is not known. Jaw pain, occurring irregularly, is a typical symptom. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of di sodium clodronate for relieving pain in patients with DSO. Disodium clodron ate is a bisphosphonate used to treat diseases of bone and calcium metaboli sm. Ten DSO patients experiencing pain received disodium clodronate or plac ebo intravenously on a randomized double-blind basis. Both minimum (300 mg) and maximum (900 mg) doses were well tolerated. Disodium clodronate admini stration did not result in better immediate pain relief than placebo admini stration. However, 6 months after treatment there was a statistically signi ficant difference in pain intensity between the groups, with the disodium c lodronate group experiencing significantly less pain.