Can electrocautery of the mandibular condyle effectively treat condylar hyperplasia?

This study aims to introduce and evaluate a novel technique to treat unilateral condylar hyperplasia (UCH) by electrocauterization of the mandibular condyle via an intraoral approach. Patients suffering from unilateral condylar hyperplasia (UCH) were included in this study. All patients underwent electrocauterization of the affected condyle. An intraoral incision on the anterior border of the mandibular ramus was made to expose the external surface of the ramus and access the anterior border of the condylar head. A hole was then drilled into the condyle and cauterization was performed; six patients also received orthognathic surgery during the procedure. Patients underwent careful clinical assessment and radiological evaluation including panoramic view, lateral and posteroanterior cephalometry, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and scintigraphy to assess condylar growth for a period of 12-24 months. Ten patients (5 male and 5 female) with active UCH type 1B or 2A were included in this study with a mean age of 20.7 years (range, 18-21.7 years). At the 12-month postoperative assessment, clinical evaluation showed stable dental occlusion with no midline shift; scintigraphy showed persistently reduced cellular activity, and computed tomography scans revealed no degeneration in either of the condyles with complete healing of the drilled holes. Within the limitations of this study it seems that the proposed treatment approach might be an alternative to previously established protocols.