title: Craniofacial parameters of Syrian children with β-thalassemia major.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate cephalometric craniofacial parameters (skeletal and dental) of β-thalassemic-major patients and to compare findings with a group of healthy patients in the same age group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one Syrian thalassemic-major patients aged 8-12 years were recruited. Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken. Linear and angular cephalometric measurements were recorded and compared with Syrian controls (n=50) in the same age group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thalassemic patients, when compared with controls, showed significant retrognathia in the mandible (reduced sella [mid-point of sella turcica]-nasion [most anterior point on the frontonasal suture] B-point [deepest point on the concavity of the mandibular profile between the alveolar crest and the point of the chin] angle, and decreased sella-nasion-pogonion [most anterior point on the bony chin] angle, P<0.0001), a significant decrease in ramus height (articulare-gonian=36.51 ± 3.87 mm, P<0.0001). They also exhibited a significant class II skeletal pattern (P<0.0001) and a convex facial profile as the nasion A-point (deepest point on maxillary profile between the anterior nasal spine and the alveolar crest) pogonion angle and maxillomandibular A-point-nasion P-point angle increased. They also showed a highly-significant decrease in the total posterior facial height (sella gonion [most posterior, inferior point on the angle of the mandible]=64.24 ± 5.73 mm, P<0.0001) and significant increase in the total anterior facial height (N-Me = 110.78 ± 6.66 mm, P=0.009) when compared to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thalassemic patients exhibited a skeletal class II malocclusion, retrognathia of the mandible, a short height of the ramus, an increase in anterior facial height, and a decrease in posterior facial height.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
authors.forename: Moutaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takriti
authors.forename: Mayssoon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dashash
mesh_terms: D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000473:pathology; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002680:Chin / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000473:pathology*; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000473:pathology; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000473:pathology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology; D009295:Nasal Bone / Q000473:pathology; D063173:Retrognathia / Q000473:pathology; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000473:pathology; D019291:Skull Base / Q000473:pathology; D013593:Syria; D014716:Vertical Dimension; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Syrian children; cephalometric; craniofacial parameters; malocclusion; β-thalassemia major