Clinical and radiological features were studied in 31 young patients with severe periodontal disease, consistent with the diagnosis of periodontosis. They were divided according to their ages into two groups; 22 patients were 14 to 21 years old and were referred to as having "juvenile periodontitis". The remaining 9 patients were 22 to 29 years old , and the term of "post-juvenile periodontitis" was applied.
A significantly higher periodontal index and number of teeth involved ,was associated with a decreased bone loss score in post-juvenile periodontitis and might be ascribed to a slower rate of bone destruction in the older patients.
A clinical feature that has not been recorded previously was the high incidence of regional lymph node enlargement .10 patients showed multiple discrete submental lymph nodes and the clinically detectable lymphadenophaty in 12 of 31 patients suggest that the regional lymph nodes are involved in immune responses to the plaque microorganism.
Parallel immunological investigation opened the possibility to differentiate juvenile periodontitis from chronic periodontitis of adults.
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