title: Orofacial edema: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the clinician.
abstract: BACKGROUND AND CONCLUSION: A case of a 41-year-old patient with a 5-year history of chronic recurrent angioedema, refractory to conservative treatment is presented. The results of the case report suggest that in differential diagnosis of angioedema, in addition to usual causes, the allergist-immunologist needs to consider Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome, which can present with a variety of symptom-combinations of the classic triad. The distinguishing characteristics of the Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome are its refractoriness to the usual anti-inflammatory therapy and the need to consider corrective cosmetic surgery, which may benefit some patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, International Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Immunology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Litvyakova
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bellanti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000799:Angioedema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D019557:Dermatitis, Perioral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008556:Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy