Clinicopathological significance of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome

Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome (MRS) classically shows a triad of orofacial swelling, fissured tongue and facial palsy, more commonly the oligosymptomatic form. The orofacial swelling is characterised by swollen reddish-brown non-pruritic lips and facial oedema. In one-third to one half of patients, fissured tongue is seen, which also aids in diagnosis. The histological finding of MRS includes non-caseating, sarcoidal granulomas, but their absence does not exclude the diagnosis. All these findings together form a basis for a cautious search for confrontational reasons for the symptom complex of MRS.