Family study on Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome. Some hereditary aspects of the disease and review of literature.

The medical records of 73 unrelated patients with either complete or incomplete Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome attending our department between 1967 and 1985 were analyzed, and 42 of them as well as 171 of their relatives were examined. Lingua plicata was seen in 10, and other features were detected in 6 of the 42 families. The limited frequency of signs characteristic for the syndrome in the relatives examined suggest a multifactorial origin including a genetic basis.