Vanishing bone disease in a five year old: report of a case and review of the literature.

Vanishing bone disease is a rare condition of unknown aetiology. It can affect almost any bone, including those of the maxillofacial region. It is most commonly seen in the second and third decades of life. To the author's knowledge, this is the second case reported in the maxillofacial region of a child within the first decade of life, and the first who survived.