Gigantiform cementoma
Encyclopedia
Gigantiform cementoma is a rare, autosomal
dental
tumor
. It is benign, but without intervention it can result in severe disfigurement of the jaw. The cause of this tumor is currently unknown. This is an exceedingly rare tumor with only a handful of documented cases worldwide. The most famous case is of Novemthree Siahaan
(who died on September 15, 2005), a young Indonesia
n boy from Batam Island
who received medical care in Haulien, Taiwan through a Buddhist missionary from the Tzu Chi Foundation
, which was documented on the Discovery Health Channel
. Another famous case is a young Korea
n girl named Ayun Lee (August 26, 2003~) whose case has shown that the tumor can be heritable. She is currently under treatment, which she may need to continue until her growth stops in her early 20s.
The term has been used in the past to describe florid cemento-osseous dysplasia
, but it is now reserved for an autosomal dominant condition affecting the maxillae. It affects mostly Caucasian people under the age of 10. Treatment is difficult. Surgical removal of the affected bone is needed, and has to be followed by reconstruction.
Autosome
An autosome is a chromosome that is not a sex chromosome, or allosome; that is to say, there is an equal number of copies of the chromosome in males and females. For example, in humans, there are 22 pairs of autosomes. In addition to autosomes, there are sex chromosomes, to be specific: X and Y...
dental
Tooth
Teeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...
tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
. It is benign, but without intervention it can result in severe disfigurement of the jaw. The cause of this tumor is currently unknown. This is an exceedingly rare tumor with only a handful of documented cases worldwide. The most famous case is of Novemthree Siahaan
Novemthree Siahaan
Novemthree Siahaan was a young Indonesian boy who had the rare condition gigantiform cementoma. The story of his life garnered much media attention when he was taken to Taiwan for treatment...
(who died on September 15, 2005), a young Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n boy from Batam Island
Batam
Batam is an island and city in Riau Islands Province of Indonesia, known for its free trade zone area as part of the Sijori Growth Triangle, is located off Singapore's south coast...
who received medical care in Haulien, Taiwan through a Buddhist missionary from the Tzu Chi Foundation
Tzu Chi
The Tzu Chi Foundation, whose name means "compassionate relief," is an international humanitarian organization and the largest non-governmental organization in the Chinese-speaking world....
, which was documented on the Discovery Health Channel
Discovery Health Channel
Discovery Health Channel is a website owned by Discovery Communications, created for people interested in health and wellness. Until December 31, 2010, it was a U.S. cable television specialty channel dedicated to television programming that highlights various aspects of health and wellness...
. Another famous case is a young Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n girl named Ayun Lee (August 26, 2003~) whose case has shown that the tumor can be heritable. She is currently under treatment, which she may need to continue until her growth stops in her early 20s.
The term has been used in the past to describe florid cemento-osseous dysplasia
Cemento-osseous dysplasia
Cemento-osseous dysplasia is a benign condition of the jaws that may arise from the fibroblasts of the periodontal ligaments. It is most common in African-American females. The three types are periapical cemental dysplasia , focal cemento-osseous dysplasia , and florid cemento-osseous dysplasia...
, but it is now reserved for an autosomal dominant condition affecting the maxillae. It affects mostly Caucasian people under the age of 10. Treatment is difficult. Surgical removal of the affected bone is needed, and has to be followed by reconstruction.