Acromegaly Oral Features — MFDS Part 1 MCQ
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Correct answer: E — Mandibular enlargement causing prognathism and increased interdental spacing
The characteristic change is mandibular enlargement with prognathism and increased interdental spacing. In adult acromegaly, excess growth hormone and IGF-1 cause progressive appositional growth and remodelling of the craniofacial skeleton, particularly the mandible. This may produce a skeletal class III relationship, altered occlusion and diastemata; macroglossia and soft-tissue thickening may coexist. Mandibular underdevelopment is the opposite pattern. Bilateral condylar resorption can cause ramus shortening and an anterior open bite but is not characteristic of acromegaly. Generalised alveolar destruction and complete tooth loss are nonspecific, while isolated maxillary hypoplasia does not describe the typical mandibular overgrowth.
Reference: De Stefani A et al. Oral Manifestations and Maxillo-Facial Features in the Acromegalic Patient: A Literature Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2022;11(4):1092. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35207363/