Gardner's Syndrome - Diagnosis

Diagnosis

Gardner syndrome can be identified based on oral findings, including multiple impacted and supernumerary teeth, multiple jaw osteomas which give a "cotton-wool" appearance to the jaws, as well as multiple odontomas, congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE), in addition to multiple adenomatous polyps of the colon. Gardner syndrome is also associated with FAP (Familial Adenomatous Polyposis) and may manifest as aggressive fibromatosis (desmoid tumors) of the retroperitoneum.

Desmoid tumors arise most frequently from the aponeurosis of the rectus abdominal muscle of multiparous women. The extra-abdominal form is rare and desmoids of the breast may arise in the mammary gland or may occur as an extension of a lesion arising from the muscles of the chest wall. The incidence of mammary desmoid tumours is less than 0.2% of primary breast neoplasms. In Gardner’s syndrome the incidence ranges from 4% to 17%. Desmoid tumours associated with Gardner’s syndrome have been shown to have an alteration of the β-catenin pathway and over express β-catenin.