[Osseous metastases in upper and lower jaws]

18 cases of metastases to the jaws in the last 10 years obtained from the Clinic of Maxillofacial Surgery and the Department of Pathology, University Hospital Zürich, are described. They were seen in patients with carcinoma of the breast, lung, prostate gland, uterus and seminoma of the testis. In 16 cases the metastases were situated in the mandible, in 2 cases in the maxilla. The average age of these patients was 61.6 years with no sex predilection. The initial symptoms were pain swelling. In 4 cases a pathologic fracture was diagnosed. The majority of the metastatic lesions are osteolytic in nature. The metastases were diagnosed, in average 3.3 years after diagnoses of the preliminary tumor. In 2 cases the metastases were diagnosed before the occult primary tumor. Death usually ensues 1 year after diagnoses.