Original scientific paper
Objective Evaluation of Craniofacial Features in Patients with Down’s Syndrome
Ivana Bagić
Željko Verzak
Abstract
Clinical anthropometry is used for evaluation of the features of the craniofacial region. The aim of this study was to determine the anthropometric variables which best discriminate a young population with Down’s Syndrome (DS) from healthy subjects and to produce a craniofacial anthropometric profile (CAP) specific for DS. The study was performed on a sample of 56 subjects (33 male and 23 female) with DS, divided into two age groups (7-12 and 13-18 years). The control group comprised 322 healthy subjects (151 male and 171 female) of the same age as the examined groups. Twenty standard craniofacial measurements were measured with instruments according to Martin and in accordance with Farkas protocol. The measured values of all subjects with DS were expressed by mean and standard deviation. CAP was performed by converting individual measurements to standard values. Deviation from mean values was considered significant when z-value deviated by more than +2 or less than -2. The results showed that the variables which discriminated the group of subjects with DS from healthy subjects in the subnormal area in the first age group were - length of the head, length of the auricles and head circumference, and in the second age group - length of the head, length of the auricles, width of the auricles and head circumference. CAP can be considered a useful and objective method in defining specific craniofacial features of DS.
Keywords
Down’s Syndrome; craniofacial features; anthropometric variables; craniofacial anthropometric profile
Hrčak ID:
2903
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2003.
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