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Garlick et al. Plast Aesthet Res 2018;5:29 Plastic and
DOI: 10.20517/2347-9264.2018.36 Aesthetic Research

Case Report Open Access

Cherubism in a 4-year-old boy managed with
tumor curettage, mandibular osteotomies and

repositioning

Jared W. Garlick, Rhett N. Willis, Daniel P. Donato, Barbu Gociman

Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
Correspondence to: Dr. Jared W. Garlick, Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Utah, School of Medicine, 30 North 1900 East,
3B400, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. E-mail: jared.garlick@hsc.utah.edu
How to cite this article: Garlick JW, Willis RN, Donato DP, Gociman B. Cherubism in a 4-year-old boy managed with tumor curettage,
mandibular osteotomies and repositioning. Plast Aesthet Res 2018;5:29. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2018.36
Received: 5 Jun 2018 First Decision: 16 Jul 2018 Revised: 24 Jul 2018 Accepted: 2 Aug 2018 Published: 16 Aug 2018

Science Editor: Raúl González-García Copy Editor: Jun-Yao Li Production Editor: Cai-Hong Wang

Abstract
Cherubism is a rare disease characterized by significant loss of medullary bone which is replaced by excessive amounts
of fibrous tissue growth within the mandible and maxilla. We present a case of a 4-year-old boy with a rapidly enlarging
mandible and maxilla, causing significant change in the facial contour, malocclusion and phonation difficulties. He
was treated with aggressive tumor curettage, lateral mandibular cortex osteotomies with medial repositioning. This
allowed obliteration of the enlarged medullary space and restoration of the normal mandibular anatomy. At 12 months
postoperatively, the patient had significant improvement in facial contour, normal outward appearance, and stable dentition.

Keywords: Cherubism, mandibular osteotomy, tumor curettage, Piezo Electric bone cutter, surgical treatment for
cherubism

INTRODUCTION
Cherubism is a rare, autosomal-dominant, non-neoplastic fibro-osseous condition predominantly affecting
the mandible and maxillary bones. It was first described as “familial multilocular cystic disease of the jaws”
by William Jones in 1933 . The name “cherubism” later became standard nomenclature used to describe the
[1]
condition due to the marked fullness of the cheeks and jaws with a slight upward tilting of the eyes, resembling
cherubs from Renaissance paintings . Cherubism usually presents as symmetric bilateral expansion of the
[2,3]
mandible and/or the maxilla, however mandibular involvement is more common . Orbital involvement
[4]
can occur in more severe cases, causing scleral show and eyes towards heaven appearance that is commonly

© The Author(s) 2018. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as long
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