| Agnathia | |
|---|---|
| Symptoms | Absence of a portion or the entirety of one or bothjaws.[1] |
| Diagnostic method | X-rays or CT scans of the mandible and temporomandibular joint.[2] |
| Treatment | Surgery |
| Frequency | Rare.[1] |
Agnathia (also termedhypognathous)[1] is the absence of a portion or the entirety of one or bothjaws.[1][3] It is a very rare condition.[1]External,middle, andinner ear abnormalities, as well astemporal bone,parotid gland,masticatory muscles, andfacial neural abnormalities, frequently coexist with Agnathia. Agnathia is seen in agnathia-holoprosencephaly,otocephaly, andIvemark syndrome.[2]
X-rays orCT scans of themandible andtemporomandibular joint showcase the extent of underdevelopment and differentiate Agnathia from other disorders that cause similar facial abnormalities but do not involve substantial structural loss.[2]
Agnathia treatment consists of rapid reconstruction using autogenousbone grafting to stop the further development of facial deformity.Mentoplasty,bone andcartilage onlay grafts, andsoft-tissue grafts are frequently used to restore facial symmetry.Distraction osteogenesis, which involves performing anosteotomy and attaching a distraction device to both portions of themandible, is becoming more common. Earlyorthodontic therapy in adolescents aids in the correction ofmalocclusion.[2]