Craniofacial morphology in an unusual case with nasal aplasia studied by roentgencephalometry and three-dimensional CT scanning.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the three-dimensional morphology of internal structures of the craniofacial region and present the orthodontic problems in an unusual case with nasal aplasia.

PATIENT: The patient was an 11.5-year-old boy with aplasia of the nose and nasal cavity with extremely constricted nasopharyngeal airway. He did not have mental or somatic retardation. The patient had dacryostenosis. The morphology of the craniofacial structures was characterized by absence of septal structures, including cribriform plate, perpendicular plate of ethmoid bone, vomer, and septal cartilage; bony hypotelorism; midface hypoplasia; short and retrognathic maxilla with Class III jaw relationship; average mandibular plane angle; high arched palate; severe anterior open bite with bilateral posterior crossbites; and dental anomalies (agenesis of four maxillary permanent teeth, microdontia, taurodontism, and short roots). Thus, the patient had characteristic dentofacial phenotype, which might be caused by a combination of the primary anomaly and the functional disturbances secondary to the nasal obstruction.