title: Diagnosis and treatment of familial cherubism characterized by early onset and rapid development.
abstract: Cherubism is a benign maxillary bone dysplasia of childhood, usually showing an autosomically dominant inheritance with variable penetrance and spontaneously resolving after puberty. Only maxillary bones are affected and develop pseudocystic osteolytic lesions. This article presents an early and rapidly evolving familial case of cherubism. The 3-year-old child underwent conservative curettage of lesions, with a conservative approach that allowed a normal permanent dentition in adolescence. Family history revealed that the father had been treated for similar lesions between 14 and 21 years of age, but the late treatment caused edentulism. In conclusion, although cherubism represents a benign and localized maxillary dysplasia, it requires prompt surgical but conservative treatment and careful follow-up to avoid permanent lesions, that is, malocclusion and/or edentulism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy. carmenmortellaro@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mortellaro
authors.forename: Lucilla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: Alberta Greco
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Lucchina
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pucci
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D002636:Cherubism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000601:surgery; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003475:Curettage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014078:Tooth Eruption / Q000502:physiology; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D055815:Young Adult