title: Dental and craniofacial characteristics in a patient with Dubowitz syndrome: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dubowitz syndrome is a very rare, autosomal recessive disease characterized by microcephaly, growth retardation, a high sloping forehead, facial asymmetry, blepharophimosis, sparse hair and eyebrows, low-set ears and mental retardation. Symptoms vary between patients, but other characteristics include a soft high-pitched voice, dental and craniofacial abnormalities, partial webbing of the fingers and toes, palate deformations, genital abnormalities, eczema, hyperactivity, preference for concrete over abstract thinking, language difficulties and an aversion to crowds.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe the craniofacial and dental characteristics of a 12-year-old Caucasian Italian boy with both the typical and less common findings of Dubowitz syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnosis of Dubowitz syndrome is mainly based on the facial phenotype. Possible conditions for differential diagnosis include Bloom syndrome, Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, and fetal alcohol syndrome. As there are few reports of this syndrome in the literature, we hope this case report will enable health professionals to recognize the phenotypic alterations of this syndrome, and allow early referral for the necessary multidisciplinary treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Sciences and Surgery, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari, Italy. andrea.ballini@medgene.uniba.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballini
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cantore
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tullo
authors.forename: Apollonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Desiate