An 85-year-old male was referred to the oral and maxillofacial department by his general dental practitioner complaining of a loose upper denture and extrusion of 'sharp fragments' bilaterally from his upper premolar regions. He also gave a recent history of recurrent nasal discharge, for which he was under the care of an ear, nose and throat department. His general health was unremarkable apart from an allergy to penicillin. On examination, the patient was edentulous in the upper arch and had evidence of bony sequestra arising from the surface of his upper alveolus (image attached).
He was partially dentate in the lower arch with no evidence of other pathology. In order to relieve his symptoms and reach a diagnosis, debridement of the infected area (including removal of the bony sequestra) was undertaken and the tissue was sent for histological examination. The histology report showed…
