[A case contribution to the Gardner syndrome]

As to its course the Gardner syndrome is similar to a chronic disease and has the following symptoms: 1. Fibro-epithelial tumours of the skin with first symptoms in early childhood. 2. Osteomes, osteofibromas, desmoids mainly located in the cranial region. 3. Disturbances of the dental development in the form of tooth retentions, persistence of milk teeth and supernumerary tooth germs. 4. Intra- and retroperitoneal or intramesenteric fibromatoses which scarcely become clinically manifest. 5. Intestinal polyposis occurring in most cases only in the third decade of life. The tumours of the skin, of the connective tissue and of the bone are always benign, whereas the intestinal polypi show a considerable tendency toward malignant degeneration. For this reason, the prognosis of the Gardner syndrome must be considered unfavourable. On the basis of a case report, the clinical symptoms and findings in the maxillofacial region are outlined.