THE CRANIAL BASE ANGLE AND MAXILLARY HYPOPLASIA IN UNOPERATED CROUZONPATIENTS

The pronounced variability of the cranial base angle and the degree of maxillary hypoplasia in Crouzon patients is well established in the l iterature. However, the correlation between these two variables has no t been studied previously in Crouzon patients who have not undergone s urgery. We studied the nasion-sella-basion and sella-nasion-subspinale (SNA) angles in 16 patients with Crouzon's syndrome, but who had not undergone surgery, and found that such a correlation does not exist. P atients with basilar kyphosis and lordosis manifested variable degrees of maxillary hypoplasia. Furthermore, normal skull base angle in Crou zon patients was not associated with normal SNA angle.