Numb Chin Syndrome As Sickle Cell Disease Consequence

Abstract

Numb chin syndrome is a sensory neuropathy in the distribution of the mental or inferior alveolar nerve. It may occur with malignant or benign disease, vascular and hematological conditions, and dental in origin. Our aim is the clearing the relationship between NCS and sickle cell disease SCD as a hematological condition and to propose recommendations for diagnosis and management. The sample size comprised 42 SCD patients. The episodes of NCS occurred in six patients as the context of typical vaso-occlusive crises that involved the mandibular area. Six cases of numb chin syndrome NCS out of 42 sickle cell disease cases (14%), were characterized with varied presentation and management. Male to female ratio was 1:1, mean age 26±6.57 years. Half of NCS 3(50%) undergo unilateral episode 2(33.3%) bilateral and 1(16.7%) bilateral/transient. All patients with numbness chin and sickle cell disease were experienced temporary and transient numbness attacks. Sickle cell disease patients who experienced chin numbness showed a non-significant decreasing in both hemoglobin concentration and white blood cell and platelet counts when compared with Sickle anemic patients without NCS. Hydroxyurea use for sickle cell disease had no positive or negative effect on chin paresthesia. So as an under-recognized sign of malignancy, NCS may result from compression by benign lesions, by localized vascular occlusion as sequence of SCD.