PERIODONTAL RECESSION IN PARRY ROMBERG’S HEMIFACIAL ATROPHY

F. Cecchetti¹, M. Di Girolamo¹, L. Baggi² and D. Mazza²

¹Dept of clinical sciences and translational medicine, Tor Vergata University, Roma, Italy;
²Dept of Social Dentistry and Gnathological Rehabilitation, National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (NIHMP),
Roma, Italy

Correspondence to:
Dario Mazza, DDS
Dept of Social Dentistry and Gnathological Rehabilitation,
National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (NIHMP),
Roma, Italy
e-mail: mzzdra@hotmail.com

Received: 01 March 2016 Accepted: 03 April 2016

2038-4106 (2016) Copyright © by BIOLIFE This publication and/or article is for individual use only and may not be further reproduced without written permission from the copyright holder. Unauthorized reproduction may result in financial and other penalties. Disclosure: all authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

ABSTRACT

Parry-Romberg syndrome (PRS) is a rare disorder characterized by slowly progressive hemifacial atrophy, including the dermis, subcutaneous tissue, fat, cartilage and bone. The facial deformity is usually more severe if atrophy begins in the first decade, as growth is rapid. A 32-year-old male came for a dental visit because he was concerned about gingival recession on the central incisor and partial edentulism. Extraoral examination revealed a facial asymmetry with the midline deviated to the left and the labial commissure stretched upwards to the left. In addition, a linear morphea “en coup de sabre” on the skin of the forehead was appreciated. Intraoral examination revealed a partial edentulousness, gum recession and a diastema between the upper central incisors. In particular, the gingival recession at the upper left central incisor level was located precisely at the level of the atrophic line of the upper lip. Only two additional cases of gingival recessions at the level of the upper incisors in PRS patients have been previously reported. It is important that gingival recession is known by periodontists as well as by orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons.

KEYWORDS: gum, periodontium, recession, atrophy, gingiva