The Wiedemann-Rautenstrauch or Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome: Report of a Patient with Gingival Hyperplasia and Severe Anterior Open Bite

Abstract

Introduction: The Wiedemann-Rautenstrauch syndrome (WRS) is a rare progeroid syndrome with an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. The main clinical features include severe intrauterine and postnatal growth failure, distinctive facial appearance, hydrocephaly, prominent scalp veins, absence of subcutaneous fat, sparse hair of the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes, generalized lipoatrophy, psychomotor delay, progressive neurological deterioration, and short life expectancy. Natal teeth and micrognathia are reported as the oral manifestations of this syndrome. Case Presentation: Here is the report of a 6.5-year-old female patient with clinical signs of WRS referred to the Department of Periodontology of Shiraz School of Dentistry with the chief complaint of toothache and gingival hyperplasia. Carious teeth were extracted, and excess gingival tissue was removed through a surgical procedure under general anesthesia. The patient was the first case with a concomitant severe anterior open bite. Conclusions: Therapies for WRS are symptomatic, requiring the coordinated efforts of a team of specialists. Dentists and oral surgeons can be recruited by pediatricians and family physicians to improve the quality of life of such patients.