Cephalometric features of connective tissue dysplasia manifestation in children and adolescents

Relevance. The high prevalence of dysplastic disorders involving connective tissue, and its negative effecton the development of dentoalveolar anomalies, carious and non-carious lesions of the teeth, periodontopathy, temporomandibular joint issues in the child population, lay the basis for improving diagnostics algorithms. Enhancing the already available standards is of greatest importance for children at the initial stages of diagnostics when evaluating the external signs of dysplastic disorders. Purpose – improving diagnostics algorithms for connective tissue dysplasia (CTD) in children in primary dental care facilities based on the evaluation of external phenotype signs and maxillofacial morphological features. Materials and methods. Depending on the external phenotype manifestations severity, as well as on laboratory, clinical and instrumental signs, the 92 children with CTD were divided into groups with mild, moderate and severe degrees of undifferentiated dysplasia. Gnathometric and biometric examinations of the maxillofacial area were performed through traditional methods, whereas the diagnosis was set following the generally accepted classifications. The diagnosis confirmation implied evaluation through cone beam computed imaging. Results. The nature and the intensity of morphofunctional disorders in the craniofacial structures (“small” stigmas) depend on the severity of connective tissue dysplastic disorders. Conclusions. The change direction vector in the facial and brain parts of cranium in children with CTD is aimed at increasing hypoplastic tendencies and dolichocephalia, proof to that being the following constitutional and morphological features: the prevalence of the vertical type of face skeleton growth over the horizontal and neutral ones; a convex face profile with a disproportionate general heights of the face skeleton; reduction of latitudinal with an increase in altitude facial parameters; a narrow short branch of the lower jaw; the upper jaw displaced downwards and forward; a decrease in the size of the apical basis of the lower dentition, the lower jaw body, as well as the height and width of the lower jaw branches.