Cherubism

Synonym: fibro-osseous hereditary disease of the jaws.

Cherubism is a non-cancerous disease in which the jaw is deformed and the bone tissue is remodeled by replacing it with fibrous tissue with giant cells and the formation of cysts.

Occurrence

 * occurrence is familial;
 * enlargement of the jaw can be observed around the fourth year, more often in boys;
 * the mandible is always affected, the involvement is symmetrical;
 * sometimes the maxilla is unilaterally affected.

Morphological changes

 * swelling of the cheeks, twisting of the bulb upwards;
 * deformation of the lower jaw prevents the movement of the tongue, leads to speech disorders;
 * teeth are dislocated, missing or retained;
 * the process begins at the angle of the mandible, the landscape of the incisors may remain unaffected;
 * the bone is enlarged but painless and stiff.

Related articles

 * Ossifying fibroma
 * Fibrous bone dysplasia

Literature

 * LIŠKA, Karel. Orofaciální patologie : Učebnice pro lékařské fakulty. 1. vydání. 1983.