[A controversial procedure: rhinoplasty in children].

Confronted with nose malformations in children, surgeons experience at the same time a legitimate desire to rapidly attend to the altered anatomical structures, and a fear to aggravate the lesions existing initially by operating during a period of growth. Numerous animal experiments have not been conclusive as far as these two contradictory theses are concerned. In all cases, prudence remains mandatory, that is prudence towards the operational indications (important functional impairment), the date of the intervention (risk minimization with age), assessment of expected results (secondary malformations occurring even very late postoperatively).