Generalized External Cervical Resorption - A Possible Indicator of Aggressiveness in Lymphangiomatosis - Gorham-Stout Syndrome

Lymphangiomatosis with Gorham-Stout syndrome is a rare disease involving two pathological processes: Infiltration of nonmalignant, aberrant lymphatic vessels into soft and hard tissues and bone lysis. This report will describe a patient suffering from Lymphangiomatosis with external dental cervical resorption that mimics caries lesions. The rate of resorption was found to be related to disease progression. All the radiographic records of the patient were collected and compared, including three full mouth peri-apical series. Seven teeth with external cervical resorption were selected for comparison. Measurements of total tooth area and resorbed areas were performed and the ratio of resorption versus total tooth area was calculated. The rate of resorption in this patient correlated with the destructive activity of the disease. Since the clinical course of the disease followed the dental resorption rate we can assume that both bone lysis and root resorption are parts of the same process.