Gorham–Stout Disease
Pronunciation: GOR-am STOWT
A rare osteolytic disorder characterised by proliferation of vascular or lymphatic channels within bone, resulting in progressive and sometimes massive bone resorption of the jaw or craniofacial skeleton.
Full Definition
Gorham–Stout disease, also called 'disappearing bone disease' or 'massive osteolysis,' involves the replacement of bone by proliferating thin-walled vascular or lymphatic channels. In the oral and maxillofacial region, the mandible is the most commonly affected site. The condition has no clear hereditary basis and its aetiology remains poorly understood. Editors should note the correct hyphenated eponymic form (Gorham–Stout, not Gorham-Stout with a hyphen or 'Gorham's disease' alone), and should be alert to it being confused with other osteolytic jaw lesions. The en dash between the two eponyms is standard in medical typography.
Usage
Usage note: The standard typographic form uses an en dash: Gorham–Stout. Verify that authors have not written 'Gorham-Stout' (hyphen) or 'Gorham Stout' (no punctuation). 'Disappearing bone disease' may appear in lay summaries.
In Context
- "The pathology report described progressive mandibular resorption with proliferating lymphatic channels, fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for Gorham–Stout disease." — Surgical pathology report
- "The editor corrected 'Gorham-Stout syndrome' to 'Gorham–Stout disease,' noting both the typographic error and the incorrect disease-category label." — Journal manuscript copy-editing