Bruno Giovanni, Dassie Francesca, Preo Giorgia, Boutarbouche Ayoub, Brandolese Sara, Maffei Pietro, Bollero Patrizio, Gracco Antonio, Basilicata Michele, De Stefani Alberto
Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy.
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Dent J (Basel). 2025 May 22;13(6):226. doi: 10.3390/dj13060226.
: Acromegaly is a rare chronic disease caused by excess growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth hormone 1 (IGF-1) due to a pituitary adenoma. In acromegaly patients, oral and facial manifestations, such as mandibular growth, macroglossia, and dental malocclusion, are common and can affect quality of life. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the diagnostic path of these patients, the impact that acromegaly had on their oral health, the medical figures involved, and the role played by their dentist. : The data were collected via an anonymous questionnaire to study dental health, dental care, and acromegaly diagnosis and history and via validated questionnaires. The validated questionnaires used were the ESS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) to assess daytime sleepiness, OHIP-14 (Oral Health Impact Profile-14) to study perceptions of oral health, and AcroQoL to explore quality of life. : We enrolled 90 acromegaly patients: 48% of the patients reported acromegaly oral manifestations and 73% reported facial changes. The most frequent oro-facial manifestations reported by the patients were jaw growth (41%), diastema (40%), macroglossia (39%), and increased size of cheekbones (35%). The median OHIP-14 value was 5 (min 0-max 43), and the highest values were recorded in the questions relating to pronunciation difficulties and problems eating due to dental problems, as well as discomfort with dental aesthetics. The patients' sleep quality was rated as good by 33% of patients, decent by 47%, and bad by 20%. The median ACROQol score achieved by the patients was 69 (min 19, max 98). An inverse and statistically significant correlation was observed between OHIP-14 and AcroQoL scores (Spearman correlation coefficient-0.44, = 0.0002). : Oro-facial changes significantly affect quality of life in cases of acromegaly, yet dental professionals' involvement in diagnosis and management is limited. Greater awareness among and integration of dental professionals could support earlier detection and improve patient outcomes.
肢端肥大症是一种罕见的慢性疾病，由垂体腺瘤导致生长激素（GH）和胰岛素样生长因子1（IGF-1）分泌过多引起。在肢端肥大症患者中，口腔和面部表现，如下颌生长、巨舌症和牙列不齐很常见，且会影响生活质量。本研究的目的是评估这些患者的诊断路径、肢端肥大症对其口腔健康的影响、涉及的医学数据以及牙医所起的作用。
通过一份匿名问卷收集数据，以研究牙齿健康、牙科护理、肢端肥大症诊断和病史，并通过经过验证的问卷进行收集。所使用的经过验证的问卷包括用于评估日间嗜睡的ESS（Epworth嗜睡量表）、用于研究口腔健康认知的OHIP-14（口腔健康影响量表-14）以及用于探索生活质量的AcroQoL。
我们招募了90名肢端肥大症患者：48%的患者报告有肢端肥大症的口腔表现，73%的患者报告有面部变化。患者报告的最常见的口腔面部表现为颌骨生长（41%）、牙间隙（40%）、巨舌症（39%）和颧骨增大（35%）。OHIP-14的中位数为5（最小值0 - 最大值43），在与发音困难、因牙齿问题进食困难以及牙齿美观不适相关的问题中记录到最高值。33%的患者将睡眠质量评为良好，47%评为尚可，20%评为较差。患者的AcroQoL得分中位数为69（最小值19，最大值98）。观察到OHIP-14和AcroQoL得分之间存在负相关且具有统计学意义（斯皮尔曼相关系数为 - 0.44，P = 0.0002）。
口腔面部变化在肢端肥大症病例中显著影响生活质量，但牙科专业人员在诊断和管理中的参与有限。提高牙科专业人员的认识并促进其整合有助于早期发现并改善患者预后。
