A retrospective study of adult patients with Parry–Romberg syndrome

Abstract

Parry–Romberg syndrome (PRS), also known as progressive hemifacial atrophy, is characterized by atrophy of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, including muscle, bone and cartilage. PRS is a clinical diagnosis, although supportive imaging and histology may be obtained. We present a case series of 10 adult patients with a diagnosis of PRS seen at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital from 2000 to 2021. Nine of 10 patients were women, with a mean (SD) age at onset of 27.3 (12.1) years and a mean (SD) of 12.4 (7.8) years between disease onset and diagnosis. Of the 10 patients, 4 had biopsies with supportive histopathology findings and 7 had positive imaging findings. Patients typically received both medical and surgical treatments.