Dermatologic Manifestations of Gardner Syndrome Workup

  • Author: Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH; Chief Editor: Dirk M Elston, MD   more...
 
Updated: Jun 23, 2010
 

Laboratory Studies

Thyroid screening by physical examination and ultrasonography is recommended in Gardner syndrome. Chromosome studies from peripheral blood lymphocytes and allele-specific expression assay can be performed. Screen all first-degree relatives of patients with Gardner syndrome or FAP.

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Imaging Studies

Imaging studies are essential for screening patients and family members who are affected. Panoramic radiography of the mandible can demonstrate subtle opacities at an early age. Long bone radiographs may demonstrate osteomas or hyperostosis. Ultrasonography is performed to screen for thyroid tumors. Van Epps et al reported seeing epidermal inclusion cysts on a CT scan from a patient with Gardner syndrome.[10]

Also see the Colorectal cancer surveillance: 2005 update of an American Society of Clinical Oncology practice guideline.[11]

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Procedures

Perform an ophthalmologic examination at an early age to detect pigmented lesions of the fundus.

Fecal occult blood, sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy, and upper GI endoscopy are required at least every 1-2 years until the patient reaches age 50 years.

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Histologic Findings

Pathologic findings of the epidermoid cysts of Gardner syndrome are similar to findings in non–Gardner syndrome cysts; however, many have pilomatricomalike changes.[8] In 1 study, 63% of cysts examined from 7 patients with Gardner syndrome demonstrated 1 or more matricoma features, such as columns of shadow cells, calcification, and basophilic matrixlike cells in the cyst lining.

The Gardner fibroma, a soft tissue tumor of children and young adults, displays a bland hypocellular proliferation of haphazardly arranged coarse collagen fibers with a bland hypocellular proliferation of inconspicuous spindle cells, small blood vessels, and a sparse mast cell infiltrate. Immunohistochemically, many show nuclear reactivity for beta-catenin and most, if not all, have nuclear reactivity for both cyclin-D1 and C-myc. These fibromas may serve as an indicator for familial Gardner syndrome or similar disorder.[12, 13]

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH  Professor and Head, Dermatology, Professor of Pathology, Pediatrics, Medicine, and Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School

Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Physicians, and Sigma Xi

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Sungnack Lee, MD  Vice President of Medical Affairs, Professor, Department of Dermatology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Korea

Sungnack Lee, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Dermatological Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Michael J Wells, MD  Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Paul L Foster School of Medicine

Michael J Wells, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, and Texas Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Warren R Heymann, MD  Head, Division of Dermatology, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Warren R Heymann, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Society of Dermatopathology, and Society for Investigative Dermatology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Catherine M Quirk, MD  Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania

Catherine M Quirk, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Dermatology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Dirk M Elston, MD  Director, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center

Dirk M Elston, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

  1. Gu GL, Wang SL, Wei XM, Bai L. Diagnosis and treatment of Gardner syndrome with gastric polyposis: a case report and review of the literature. World J Gastroenterol. Apr 7 2008;14(13):2121-3. [Medline].

  2. Ascari-Raccagni A, Baldari U, Righini MG. Cutaneous symptoms of Gardner's syndrome. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. Jan 1999;12(1):80-1. [Medline].

  3. Hood AB, Krush AJ. Clinical and dermatologic aspects of the hereditary intestinal polyposes. Dis Colon Rectum. Aug 1983;26(8):546-8. [Medline].

  4. Elkharwily A, Gottlieb K. The pancreas in familial adenomatous polyposis. JOP. Jan 8 2008;9(1):9-18. [Medline].

  5. Madani M, Madani F. Gardner's syndrome presenting with dental complaints. Arch Iran Med. Oct 2007;10(4):535-9. [Medline].

  6. Lee BD, Lee W, Oh SH, Min SK, Kim EC. A case report of Gardner syndrome with hereditary widespread osteomatous jaw lesions. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. Mar 2009;107(3):e68-72. [Medline].

  7. Kaplan I, Nicolaou Z, Hatuel D, Calderon S. Solitary central osteoma of the jaws: a diagnostic dilemma. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. Sep 2008;106(3):e22-9. [Medline].

  8. Pujol RM, Casanova JM, Egido R, Pujol J, de Moragas JM. Multiple familial pilomatricomas: a cutaneous marker for Gardner syndrome?. Pediatr Dermatol. Dec 1995;12(4):331-5. [Medline].

  9. Wachter-Giner T, Bieber I, Warmuth-Metz M, Brocker EB, Hamm H. Multiple pilomatricomas and gliomatosis cerebri--a new association?. Pediatr Dermatol. Jan-Feb 2009;26(1):75-8. [Medline].

  10. Van Epps KJ, Kuszyk BS, Hofmann LV, Fishman EK. Epidermoid inclusion cysts seen on CT of a patient with Gardner's syndrome. AJR Am J Roentgenol. Sep 1999;173(3):858-9. [Medline].

  11. Desch CE, Benson AB 3rd, Somerfield MR, et al. Colorectal cancer surveillance: 2005 update of an American Society of Clinical Oncology practice guideline. J Clin Oncol. Nov 20 2005;23(33):8512-9. [Medline].

  12. Lanckohr C, Debiec-Rychter M, Müller O, Homann HH, Lehnhardt M, Herter P, et al. [Gardner fibroma: case report and discussion of a new soft tissue tumor entity]. Pathologe. Mar 2010;31(2):97-105. [Medline].

  13. Coffin CM, Hornick JL, Zhou H, Fletcher CD. Gardner fibroma: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis of 45 patients with 57 fibromas. Am J Surg Pathol. Mar 2007;31(3):410-6. [Medline].

  14. Marshall KA, Kuhlmann TP, Horowitz JH, Silloway KA, Edlich RF. Excision of multiple epidermal facial cysts in Gardner's syndrome. Am J Surg. Nov 1985;150(5):615-6. [Medline].

  15. de Camargo VP, Keohan ML, D'Adamo DR, Antonescu CR, Brennan MF, Singer S, et al. Clinical outcomes of systemic therapy for patients with deep fibromatosis (desmoid tumor). Cancer. May 1 2010;116(9):2258-65. [Medline].

  16. Perniciaro C. Gardner's syndrome. Dermatol Clin. Jan 1995;13(1):51-6. [Medline].

  17. Cotran RS, Kumar V, Collins T. Pathologic Basis of Disease. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 1999:831.

 
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