From tooth extraction to Gorham-Stout disease: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Gorham-Stout disease (GSD), or vanishing bone disease, is a very rare condition of unknown aetiology. It is characterised by progressive osteolysis and angiomatosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the discovery of this very rare disease following a trivial deciduous tooth extraction in a 14-year-old female. We focus initially on the difference between the preoperative orthopantomography and the whole-body computed tomography and magnetic resonance images obtained post-haemorrhage, and then on the improvement of strategies for the correct diagnosis and treatment of this disease. DISCUSSION: Bone loss and the proliferation of vascular structures can occur in a single bone or spread to soft tissue and adjacent bone; areas commonly affected by GSD include the ribs, spine, pelvis, skull, clavicle, and the maxillofacial area. The clinical presentation of GSD includes pain, functional impairment, and swelling, although a few asymptomatic cases have been reported, similar to our case. CONCLUSION: We report a very rare case of this multicentric disease in an asymptomatic child who presented for dental extraction, almost died, and was then diagnosed with and treated for GSD.