A Case of Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome

ABSTRACT

Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome is a rare condition and clinical diagnosis was established on the basis of the triad facial or lip edema, peripheral facial palsy and scrotal or plicated tongue. Labial swelling(Cheilitis granulomatosa) is the most common feature of this syndrome complex. The lips may enlarge up to three times their normal size, resulting in aesthetic deformity and functional disability. The condition appears to be a granulomatous disorder causing edema and inflammation of the soft tissues of the face, lips, oral cavity and particularly, the facial nerve. Traditional medical interventions are only marginally successful in treating this syndrome. We report the case of a young man with cheilitis granulomatosa as a manifestation of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome successfully treated by transverse and vertical star-shaped resection with a transmodiolar labial suspension suture at mouth angle. Our result shows symmetry of the lip, a normalized anterior projection, dimensional harmony between upper and lower lip and no disfiguring cicatrices.