[Paget's disease with an exclusively maxillary location. A case report].

The authors illustrate a case report of Paget's disease in an exclusively cranio-facial localisation. Paget's disease is a dystrophy of an osteo-condensing type. Excess bone remodelling activity, due primarily to hyperclastic hyperactivity, leads to accelerated resorption and excess tissue formation. This marked alteration of the metabolism causes the hypertrophy of the bones involved, with zones of greater density and increased vascularisation. Its clinical manifestations include morphological deformations and painful symptoms in the areas affected. Complications may include pathological fractures, medullary or radicular compression, heart failure (rare), sarcomatous transformation (approximately 1% of cases). The case reported here describes a 70-year-old who was admitted to the out-patient clinic of the Odontostomatological Division of the Ospedale Mauriziano in Turin for a dental check up. The patient had had 6 teeth removed during the past 2 weeks in a private clinic. At the time of the control a mucous crater was present, also involving the underlying bone, at the level of the extracted 2.6 tooth. The patient had kept the teeth which had been removed some of which showed that the roots were surrounded by alveolar bone. A dental panoramic x-ray and cranial x-ray were performed using 3 projections and showed the remodelling of the cranial theca and upper jaw. The suspicion of Paget's disease was confirmed by hematochemical tests, bone scintigraphy with calcium phosphate and by the histologic examination of the alveolar bone fragments adhering to the root surface of the extracted teeth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)