The authors describe the case of a 14-year-old girl who experienced pr
ogressive hemifacial atrophy at the age of three-and-a-half years. The
patient's early age at appearance of the condition resulted not only
in atrophy of skin, subcutaneous tissue, and muscles, but also in very
severe deformation of the right side of the face due to disorders in
growth of cartilaginous and osseous tissue. Changes in her brain case
and craniofacial skeleton included enophthalmos, underdevelopment of t
he eyelids, nose, hard plate, and dental process of the jaw including
the premolar teeth, and a lack of the second molar. These changes caus
ed an irregular line of bite. The differential diagnosis excluded hemi
facial microsomy and sclerodermal hemifacial atrophy.