Oro-dental manifestations of the Schwartz-Jampel syndrome.

A boy with the Schwartz-Jampel syndrome (chondrodystrophic myotonia) had a number of oro-dental complications. These included difficulty in tooth extraction and orthodontic care due to a small oral aperture and rigidity of the temporo-mandibular joints. General anaesthesia was hazardous because of a propensity to malignant hyperthermia, and endotracheal intubation was difficult because of shortness and rigidity of the neck and the small size of the laryngeal structures. Awareness of these potential problems is crucial for anaesthesia and comprehensive dental management. The radiological demonstration of dentigerous cysts is a hitherto unreported observation in this disorder.