Peer-reviewed article
Improvement of Alveolar Bone in a Child with Severe Congenital Neutropenia: Long-Term Clinical Outcomes.
Akitomo T, Kusaka S, Zhao J, Nomura R ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a single case study of an 8-year-old girl with severe congenital neutropenia who developed alveolar bone loss. She received oral care and underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Radiographic measurements showed improvement in alveolar bone thickness as her overall health improved. The report documents dental and bone changes over time in this rare condition.
Key points
- Alveolar bone resorption occurred in a child with severe congenital neutropenia
- Alveolar bone thickness increased as the patient's systemic condition improved following stem cell transplant
- Improvement in alveolar bone was observed alongside systemic recovery and new tooth eruption
- No oral mucositis developed during the patient's treatment course
Limitations
This is a single case study with no comparison group, so findings cannot be generalised to other children with this condition or used to evaluate the effectiveness of any intervention. The report does not distinguish between the effects of oral care, stem cell transplant, or natural recovery on bone improvement.
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Although gingivitis is the most common oral disease in children, periodontitis accompanied by alveolar bone resorption may develop in patients with severe congenital neutropenia. However, no reports to date have focused on changes in the alveolar bone of these patients during long-term follow-up. Case Summary: A girl aged 8 years and 5 months who developed leukemia due to severe neutropenia was admitted to the hospital and referred to the pediatric dentistry department for oral care. Panoramic radiographs at the first visit revealed significant alveolar bone resorption and mobility in the remaining deciduous teeth. We provided oral care, and the patient later underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. No oral mucositis was observed. Measurement of alveolar bone thickness in the anterior and posterior regions revealed that the ratio increased as the patient's systemic condition improved, showing a relative increase in alveolar bone thickness in the posterior region. Conclusions: Although this report is descriptive and observational, the patient's alveolar bone loss with severe congenital neutropenia improved as the patient's systemic condition improved. In addition, improvement of alveolar bone loss was observed along with systemic recovery and tooth eruption.