Cessation in root development: ramifications of 'Stevens-Johnson' syndrome

The case presented here is of a 15-year-old girl in whom nearly all the teeth except for lower first molars and lower central incisors showed short roots as observed through panoramic radiograph. At the same time there was difference in the length of roots of various teeth. The patient suffered an acute attack of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) at the age of 8 years and since no other possible explanation for the short roots anomaly could be found, it could be concluded that the cessation in root development may have been caused by the destruction or damage of the epithelial root sheath during the SJS disease.