True hemifacial microsomia and hemimandibular hypoplasia with condylar-coronoid collapse: diagnostic and prognostic differences.

INTRODUCTION: Long-term results after orthopedic or surgical treatment of hemifacial microsomia (HFM) have shown a tendency toward recurrence of the facial asymmetry. However, the literature contains a number of successful case reports that show surprising changes in the morphology of the condyles. In addition, patients with similar mandibular asymmetries, treated early with surgery, have excellent long-term follow-ups, especially those who have little or no soft-tissue involvement, but only severe mandibular ramal deformities. The phenotypes of these cases are unexpectedly similar, with a consistent collapse of the condyle against the coronoid and a deep sigmoid notch. The objectives of this article were to help distinguish true HFM from this peculiar type of hemimandibular asymmetry morphologically and to quantify their differences before treatement and in the long term. METHODS: Panoramic radiographs taken at pretreatment and the long-term follow-up of 9 patients with hemimandibular hypoplasia, characterized by the collapse of the condyle against the coronoid, were compared with those of 8 patients with severe type I and type II HFM; these records were collected before and at least 10 years after distraction osteogenesis. RESULTS: Ratios and angular measurements before and after treatment differed significantly between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Perhaps these patients were misdiagnosed and actually had secondary injuries of the condyle, which have a normal functional matrix. Therefore, with growth and functional stimulation, they would tend to grow toward the original symmetry. To make a differential diagnosis between true HFM and this peculiar type of hemimandibular hypoplasia, the collaboration between not only orthodontists and surgeons, but also geneticists and dysmorphologists, is of great importance because of the different prognoses.

The importance of a differential diagnosis between true hemifacial microsomia and pseudo-hemifacial microsomia in the post-surgical long-term prognosis.

Long-term results after surgical treatment of the mandibular asymmetry in growing children with hemifacial microsomia (HFM), whether with osteotomies or distraction osteogenesis, have mostly shown a tendency towards the recurrence of the asymmetry. In contrast, in the literature we find sporadic case reports where the long-term post-surgical follow-up of patients diagnosed as HFM, are surprisingly stable. All these reports refer to patients who have substantially no soft tissue involvement, but only severe mandibular ramus and condyle deformities. The phenotypes of these cases are unexpectedly similar. The authors suggest, that it is possible that all of these cases might be isolated hemimandibular hypoplasias, misdiagnosed as HFM, which present a normal functional matrix and, therefore, tend to grow towards the original symmetry. Differential diagnosis between true HFM and this HFM-like isolated hemimandibular hypoplasia (pseudo-HFM) is of great importance given the very different prognosis and it is possible through the collaboration between not only surgeons and orthodontists, but also of geneticists and dysmorphologists.

Función respiratoria y su repercusión estomatognática y orgánica / Respiratory function and its stomatognathic and organic repercussion

La funcionalidad respiratoria es extremadamente importante para el desarrollo del complejo nasomaxilar, además del desarrollo sistémico. Una respiración alterada y, en particular, una respiración de tipo bucal, tiene consecuencias específicas sobre todo el organismo. Estas han sido objeto de estudio en nuestra investigación, que se ha desarrollado con el auxilio de tres diferentes métodos rinomanométricos (rinomanometría anterior activa, rinomanometría posterior activa y rinomanometría posterior bilateral simultánea). Los resultados indican que los respiradores bucales tienen valores de resistencia nasal por encima de la media y que éstas disminuyen después del test dinámico de esfuerzo en los sujetos con patologías obstructivas de las primeras vías aéreas con base vasomotora. Se ha observado que una respiración no fisiológica está asociada a signos típicos (faciales, adenoidea, disturbios digestivos, alteraciones a nivel de columna y tórax) y una mayor susceptibilidad a las infecciones de las vías aéreas altas (amigdalitis, que pueden involucrar al oído medio (otitis) por la proximidad anatómica o llegar más profundamente (neumonías). Sería beneficioso examinar precozmente a los pacientes y someterlos a un plan de tratamiento adecuado que evitaría o haría menos grave la aparición de alteraciones irreversibles