title: Gorham's disease of the mandible mimicking periodontal disease on radiograph.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gorham's disease is a rare disorder characterized by spontaneous and progressive osteolysis of one or more skeletal bones. The radiographic findings associated with Gorham's disease are particularly dramatic, as in some cases a complete resorption of the involved bone can occur, leading to the definition of phantom bone, vanishing bone, or disappearing bone disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 24-year-old female patient with a previous diagnosis of periodontal disease and progressive mandibular alveolar bone loss was referred to our Oral Medicine section. The initial radiographic picture showed infrabony defects and horizontal bone loss.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After further extensive local and systemic evaluation, including histopathological, laboratory and imagine techniques investigations, the patient was diagnosed to be affected by Gorham's disease. Meanwhile the progression of the osteolytic process had caused the loosening of all the left mandibular teeth and a pathologic fracture. Appropriate medical therapy was successful in stabilizating the resorptive process, with no evidence of further progressive disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When Gorham's disease involves the mandible, the role of the periodontologist is extremely important in diagnosing promptly the disorder and preventing the functional and aesthetic consequences of advanced and extensive bone loss. Gorham's disease should be included among the pathologic entities mimicking periodontal disease on radiograph, such as inflammatory disease (e.g. osteomyelitis), endocrine disease (e.g. hyperparathyroidism), intra-osseous malignancies or metastases, lymphoma, histiocytosis X, mainly eosinophilic granuloma, infective process (e.g. tuberculosis and actinomycosis), odontogenic tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontostomatological and Maxillofacial Sciences, Section of Oral Medicine, University Federico II, Naples, Italy. mdmig@tin.it
authors.forename: Michele Davide
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mignogna
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fedele
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lo Russo
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marenzi
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sammartino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D010015:Osteolysis, Essential / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid
chemical_list: D004164:Diphosphonates; D007093:Imidazoles; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid