title: Morphometric analysis of craniofacial features in mono- and dizygotic twins discordant for unilateral cleft lip and palate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare craniofacial differences between twins discordant for surgically repaired unilateral cleft lip and palate (CLP) during the developmental ages and to test the effect of zygosity on the shape and size of the craniofacial skeleton of the same twins by means of thin plate spline (TPS) analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lateral and posteroanterior (PA) cephalometric films from 19 sets of monozygotic (MZ) twins (15 male and 4 female) and 10 dizygotic (DZ) twins (7 male and 3 female) were analyzed. TPS analysis evaluated statistically significant differences in the craniofacial shape and size between affected and unaffected twins within MZ and DZ twin couples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant differences in craniofacial shape or size between CLP and non-CLP MZ or DZ twins were observed. The level of morphological similarity in CLP vs non-CLP MZ twins was statistically greater than in DZ twins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Morphometric analysis showed that surgically repaired CLP does not produce significant shape or size differences in the craniofacial features of MZ or DZ twins discordant for unilateral CLP.
authors: Private practice, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors: Alexis Y
authors: AY
authors: Tessler
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Franchi
authors: James A
authors: JA
authors: McNamara
authors: Tiziano
authors: T
authors: Baccetti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000235:genetics* / Q000601:surgery; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000235:genetics* / Q000601:surgery; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000235:genetics*; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000473:pathology; D009915:Orbit / Q000473:pathology; D010159:Palate / Q000473:pathology; D012886:Skull / Q000473:pathology*; D012984:Software; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics*; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics*