Goldenhar Syndrome Shows More Severe Tooth Abnormalities Than Hemifacial Microsomia

Objective:Hemifacial Microsomia (HM) and Goldenhar syndrome (GHS) show tooth development abnormalities.Such alterations are or not similar in HM and GHS. This study was designed to investigate if GHS has more severe tooth development alterations than HM. Methods: Forty five patients grouped according to age, sex and race were divided in 3 groups of 15 patients each. The first group suffered of HM. The second group had GHS and the third group (control) was normal individuals. The degree of tooth development, obtained from detail assessment of panoramic radiographs, was evaluated using Nolla's s stages of tooth calcification and a developmental score was assigned. Data from each tooth in every quadrant of patients with HM and with GHS were compared to data of the same tooth of the matched controls by unpaired t test. A P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:Compared to the control group, the central incisors in Goldenhar syndrome was statistically significant different in the maxilla P<005 and in the mandible P<0.025, while in HM group the difference in the mandible was less significant P<0.05. The development of the canine in GHS was statistically significantly different in the maxilla and in the mandible P<005; however, in the HM patients the difference was not significant. Finally, the development of the posterior teeth in Goldenhar syndrome was statistically significant different in the mandible P<0.05 compared with the control group, while in HM group the difference was not significant. Conclusion: This study shows that alterations of tooth development in HM and GHS are bilateral and GHS is statistically significantly more severe than in patients with HM. Therefore, GHS may represent a more severe degree of the same pathology derived from the first and second branquial arches.