title: Seven-year follow-up of vanishing bone disease in a 14-year-old girl.
abstract: A review of the literature revealed 91 cases of massive osteolysis since the first report by Jackson in 1838, including 31 in the maxillofacial region meeting the Heffez criteria. In seven cases, early irradiation was performed, after which no further progression of bone lysis was observed. The young female patient reported here has been followed up clinically and radiologically for 7 years after radiotherapy, during which time she has remained stable, with no progression of the osteolysis. Our experience with this patient appears to confirm that early radiotherapy with a dose of 30-40 Gy prevents further progression of the disease and can even lead to recalcification. On this basis, and provided the patient remains symptom-free, reconstructive surgery appears a viable treatment option.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University Clinic of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schiel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010015:Osteolysis, Essential / Q000473:pathology*