[Chronic cutaneous fistula secondary to mandibular osteomyelitis]

Cutaneous fistulas and sinuses in the maxillofacial region secondary to osteomyelitis rarely appear in clinical practice. The most frequent cause of mandibular osteomyelitis is a dental infection, but it may also be hematogenic in origin. The diagnostic criteria for bacterial osteomyelitis are suppuration and osteolytic changes in the radiological study. The differential diagnosis of an ulcerative lesion in the mandibular area includes several pathologies, such as a fistula of dental origin, a reaction to a foreign body, a deep mycotic infection, a pyogenic granuloma or a congenital malformation.