Cone-beam computed tomography-based analysis of jawbone destruction patterns in multiple myeloma: Associations with clinical data in an observational study.

Purpose: This study analyzed cone-beam computed tomography images of 27 patients with multiple myeloma at different disease stages to identify jawbone destruction patterns and assess their associations with clinical data.

Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 2 trained examiners performed standardized, consensus-based image analyses. Lesions were classified into 4 distinct bone destruction patterns: diffuse, multilocular, unilocular, and punched-out. Clinical data were collected from medical records.

Results: The sample included 51.8% male and 48.2% female patients, predominantly between 42 and 60 years old. All cases exhibited diffuse bone destruction affecting both jaws. Multilocular and unilocular patterns were observed in 51.9% and 29.6% of cases, respectively, while no punched-out lesions were identified. The unilocular pattern was significantly associated with cases classified as International Staging System stage I and Durie-Salmon stage IIIA.

Conclusion: Among the studied cases of multiple myeloma, the most frequently observed bone destruction patterns were diffuse and multilocular. The absence of punched-out lesions may be attributable to the use of 3-dimensional imaging. A clear association was identified between the unilocular pattern and disease staging.