VERTICAL MAXILLARY EXCESS

The long-face syndrome is a well-recognized entity, yet the pathogenesis of this malformation remains obscure and variations are generally not recognized. Fifty lateral cephalometric radiographs of patients who underwent vertical maxillary reductions were studied using the architectural and structural analysis of Delaire. Several subgroups of vertical maxillary excess that had not been recognized previously were identified. The most common dysmorphic type was the classically described long-face syndrome; the next most common consisted of patients who had short upper lips, normal maxillas, and long faces secondary to vertical chin excess. In all, six different variations of vertical maxillary excess were identified. Concomitantly, in the majority of cases there was associated vertical mandibular chin excess. It is suggested that these variations may have differing pathogeneses.