Hallerman-Streiff syndrome: case report and recommendations for dental care

Hallerman-Streiff syndrome is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by a peculiar bird facies, mandibular and maxillary hypoplasia, dyscephaly, cataracts, microphtalmia, hypotrichosis, skin atrophy, and short stature. Dental abnormalities are present in 80 percent of the cases and include malocclusion, crowding, severe caries, supernumerary and neonatal teeth, enamel hypoplasia, hypodontia, premature eruption of primary dentition, agenesis of permanent teeth, and anterior displacement or absence of condyles. Very few cases have been described in the dental literature. The predisposition to severe caries, together with other problems, makes it imperative that young patients be started in a strong prevention program as early as possible. This is a case report of a five-year-eleven-month-old white male who presented for a dental examination at The Children's Hospital in Denver, CO. The findings and recommendations for treatment are discussed.