Facial features of patients with sickle cell anemia

Abstract Objective: To characterize the craniofacial features of patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA). Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with SCA in the north of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were evaluated using standardized photographs (front and profile) for a subjective facial analysis and digital radiographs for a computerized cephalometric analysis. To obtain linear and angular measurements, cephalometric points were marked on the digital images by a single examiner, using the program Radiocef 6.0, and facial analyses were performed by four different orthodontists. Results: Of the population studied, 28 patients were female with a mean age of 27.7 years. Most of the patients (64%) had their faces classified as esthetically acceptable, although results showed a predominance of convex profiles (72%). The mean of the SNA angle was 84.56°, diagnosing proper positioning of the maxilla from the base of the skull. The prevalence of pattern II was 32%, and 31% showed maxillary protrusion; the effective length...