Acromegaly: a cross-sectional analysis of the oral and maxillofacial pathologies

It is well established that clinical features of acromegaly concern the teeth and the jaw, but less is known about the degree of oral and maxillofacial pathologies.

28 acromegalics (13 females, 15 males) with a mean age 49±11 (mean±SD) years (range 31-70) were included in the study. 32% had active disease, 68% were well-controlled under the somatostatin analogue octreotide, the dopamine agonist cabergoline, and the GH receptor antagonist pegvisomant, or were cured after pituitary surgery and/or radiation.

All subjects undergone intensive and complex examinations of a plaster model and facial arch with articulator, an intra-oral bracket-pen registration, analysis of a digital picture, panoramic and lateral radiographs with cephalometry in comparison with a reference group (n=201).

42% had a diastema mediale (0.9±1.1 mm). Overbite and overjet (vertical overbite) correlated with the disease duration (r²=0.2237; p=0.011 respectively r²=0.3364; p=0.015). 96% had an asymmetric movement of the mandible. 57% had a prognathism. The protrusion of the mandible correlated significantly with the disease duration (r²=0.1784; p=0.028). The degree of the mandibular prognathism (SNB-angle) was higher in the acromegalic group (84°±7° vs. 81°±3°, p<0.05). The ANB-angle indicates the relation between maxilla and mandible and was negative in the acromegalic group and positive in the controls (-0.3°±5.0° vs. 1.6°±2.1°, p=<0.05) and correlated negative with the disease duration (r²=0.2553; p=0.0061). The mandibular angle was significantly greater in the acromegalic group (126°±9° acromegalic group vs. 121°±7°control group, p=0.003). The length of the mandible correlated with the disease duration (r²=0.2801; p=0.0038). 86% had an asymmetric face. The high of the midface was in the acromegalic group higher (6.1±0.7 vs. 5.5±0.4 cm, p=0.0009) as well as the lower bony high of the face (9.5±1.0 acromegalics vs. 6.9±0.5 cm controls, p=0.0009). The high of the lower bony face correlated with as well with the disease duration (r²=0.3224; p=0.0016).

Patients with acromegaly suffer not only from cardiovascular, metabolic and neoplastic complications, but also from dental and jaw disorders. The high incidence of these manifestations and its relation to the disease duration requires a carefully work-up of oral and maxillofacial examinations in close collaboration with endocrinologists, dentists and dental surgeons.