Thalassemia: essential radiographic and clinical features of interest to dentistry

Abstract

Thalassemia is a type of hereditary anemia that predominantly affects individuals born in or descendents of countries bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy and Greece. Also known as Cooley’s anemia and Mediterranean anemia, the disease causes alterations in hemoglobin formation and malformations of the cranium, long bones, maxilla and mandible. It presents two distinct clinical conditions: one severe, called “major” thalassemia, and the other mild, denominated “minor” thassalemia. Hematologic exam diagnoses the two forms of the disease. Its clinical and radiographic manifestations include hepatosplenomegalia, lymphadenopathy, augmented mandible, increase in medullary spaces, thick bone trabeculae and in lower quantity, resembling a “spider web”, displacement of the mandibular canal, with loss of detail of its superior and inferior corticals and a radiographic aspect of “hair standing on end” at the surface of the cranium. Some of these manifestations are so characteristic and capable of being observed in radiographs that they form part of the dentist’s routine. This case report discusses the alterations observed in the panoramic radiograph of a patient with thalassemia diagnosed by means of hematologic exam