Surgical Treatment Of Hemimandibular Hypertrophy

Hemimandibular hypertrophy, also called hemifacial hypertrophy, is a developmental maxillofacial deformity characterized by a generalized increase in size of one half of the mandible. Patients with this affliction present clinicallywith varying degrees of asymmetry——an enlarged condyle, an increase inramus height, prominence of the lower border of the mandible and a rotated facial appearance with kinking at the mandibular symphysis. In the advanced form, maxillary and mandibular alveolar bone overgrowth result in a compensatory canting of the occlusal plane and a significant functional malocclusion.As the anatomical structure of the jaws is a decisive factor of the facial appearance, the abnormally will result in a "unique face" and consequently pose mental stress on patients.This article presents 21 cases of hemimandibular hypertrophy treated with various surgical methods at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Western China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University between 1990 and 2005, and discusses the etiology, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of this disease.