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Gorham's disease
Other Names for this Disease
- Cystic angiomatosis of bone diffuse
- Gorham-Stout disease
- Gorham-Stout syndrome
- Osteolysis massive
- Vanishing bone disease
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Overview
Gorham's disease is a rare bone disorder that is characterized by bone loss (osteolysis) often associated with swelling or abnormal blood vessel growth (angiomatous proliferation). Bone loss can occur in just one bone or spread to soft tissue and adjacent bones.[1] It may affect any part of the skeleton, but most commonly involves the skull, shoulder, and pelvic girdle. The cause of Gorham's disease is currently unknown. No familial predisposition has been found. Because of the rarity of this disease, there is not standard therapy available. The main methods of treatment are surgery and radiation therapy. In some cases, Gorham's disease has improved without treatment (spontaneous remission).[2]
References
- Gorham's disease. National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). http://www.rarediseases.org/rare-disease-information/rare-diseases/byID/832/viewAbstract. Accessed October 6, 2011.
- Gondivkar SM, Gadbail AR. Gorham-Stout syndrome: a rare clinical entity and review of literature. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2010. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19969488. Accessed October 6, 2011.
Your Questions Answered
by the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center1 question(s) from the public on Gorham's disease have been answered. See questions and answers. You can also submit a new question.
On this page
General Information
- The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a federation of more than 130 nonprofit voluntary health organizations serving people with rare disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
- Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge. Click on the link to read information on this topic.
- PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Gorham's disease. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.
- The The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database contains genetics resources that discuss Gorham's disease. Click on the link to go to OMIM and review these resources.
Selected Full-Text Journal Articles
- Patel, Dipak, et.al. Gorham's Disease or Massive Osteolysis. Clinical Medicine & Research. 2005: Volume 3, Number 2:65-74.