Facial Asymmetry in Children with Unicoronal Synostosis Who Have Undergone Craniofacial Reconstruction in Infancy.

Objective:  Quantitatively assess 3D spatially detailed soft-tissue facial asymmetry in children who had undergone craniofacial reconstruction for Unicoronal Synostosis (UCS), and compare the facial asymmetry to control patients. It was hypothesized that there would be no significant differences in the facial asymmetry between the groups. Design:  Clinical, retrospective follow-up study. Methodological study. Setting:  Primary care center. Patients/Participants:  Twenty-two children with UCS were selected after review of records. Inclusion criteria: isolated UCS; surgically treated for UCS within the first 19 months of life, without secondary reconstruction; and DNA analysis for the Muenke mutation. An age- and sex-matched control group was employed. Interventions:  The UCS group had undergone bilateral craniotomy of the frontal bone with unilateral supraorbital rim advancement. Main Outcome Measure(s):  Using 3D surface scanning, a detailed map of 3D asymmetry presenting the amount of asymmetry in the sa...