Romberg syndrome

Parry-Romberg syndrome, or just Romberg syndrome, is a rare disease that is characterized by atrophy of the skin, muscle, fat, bone tissue and nerves of the face, causing aesthetic deformation. Generally, this disease only affects one side of the face, however, it can extend to the rest of the body.

This disease has no cure, but taking medication and surgery help to control the progression of the disease.

Deformation of the face seen from the side

Deformation of the face seen from the front

What symptoms help to identify

Generally, the disease begins with changes in the face just above the jaw or in the space between the nose and mouth, extending to the other places on the face.

In addition, other signs may also appear, such as:

Difficulty chewing;
Difficulty opening your mouth;
Red and deeper eye in the orbit;
Falling facial hair;
Lighter spots on the face.

Over time, Parry-Romberg syndrome can also cause changes in the inside of the mouth, especially in the roof of the mouth, inside the cheeks and gums. In some cases, neurological symptoms such as seizures and severe pain in the face may develop.

These symptoms can progress from 2 to 10 years, then enter a more stable phase in which no more changes in the face appear.

How to do the treatment

In the treatment of Parry-Romberg Syndrome immunosuppressive drugs such as prednisolone, methotrexate or cyclophosphamide are taken to help fight the disease and reduce symptoms, because the main causes of this syndrome are autoimmune, which means that the cells of the immune system attack the tissues of the face, causing deformations, for example.

In addition, it may also be necessary to undergo surgery, mainly to reconstruct the face, by performing fatty, muscular or bone grafts. The best time to perform the surgery varies from individual to individual, but it is recommended that it be performed after adolescence and when the individual has finished growing.

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