Effect of radiation injury on the growing face.

The literature on the effect of ionizing radiations on developing and rapidly growing tissue has been reviewed, and the effect especially on children who received radiation therapy in the Clinic for Maxillo-Facial and Plastic Surgery of the University of Dusseldorf for various tumours of the head and neck presented. Our findings indicate that we do not yet know the minimal irradiation dosage that may cause growth retardation in infants and children. It has therefore been suggested that surgery should be more frequently considered in the treatment of childhood tumours, since this caused less side effect, and reconstructive surgery is today able to do much for patients who have had parts of their jaws resected.