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There is no standard treatment for the hand malformations in Apert due to the differences and severity in clinical manifestations in different patients. Every patient should therefore be individually approached and treated, aiming at an adequate balance between hand functionality and aesthetics.
However, some guidelines can be given depending on the severity of the deformities.
In general it is initially recommended to release the first and fourth interdigital spaces, thus releasing the border rays.
This makes it possible for the child to grasp things by hand, a very important function for the child's development. Later the second and third interdigital spaces have to be released.
Because there are three handtypes in Apert, all with their own deformities, they all need a different approach regarding their treatment:
- Type I hand usually needs only the interdigital web space release. First web release is rarely needed but often its deepening is necessary. Thumb clynodactyly correction will be needed.
- In type II hands it is recommended to release the first and fifth rays in the beginning, then the second and the third interdigital web spaces have to be freed. The clynodactyly of the thumb has to be corrected as well. The lengthening of the thumb phalanx may be needed, thus increasing the first web space. In both type I and type II, the recurrent syndactyly of the second web space will occur because of a pseudoepiphysis at the base of the index metacarpal. This should be corrected by later revisions.
- Type III hands are the most challenging to treat because of their complexity. First of all, it is advised to release the first and fourth webspace, thus converting it to type I hand. The treatment of macerations and nail-bed infections should also be done in the beginning. For increasing of the first web space, lengthening of the thumb can be done. It is suggested that in severe cases an amputation of the index finger should be considered. However, before making this decision, it is important to weigh the potential improvement to be achieved against the possible psychological problems of the child later due to the aesthetics of the hand. Later, the second and/or third interdigital web space should be released.
With growing of a child and respectively the hands, secondary revisions are needed to treat the contractures and to improve the aesthetics.
Macrostomia, (from the Greek prefix "makro-" meaning "large" and from Greek , "mouth") refers to a mouth that is unusually wide.
Macrostomia is characterized as a physical abnormality that causes clefts to form on the face of affected individuals. These clefts can form on either or both sides of the face, but they are most commonly seen on the right cheek and have a higher rate of occurrence in males. Macrostomia is very irregular and on average occurs only once in every 150,000 to 300,000 live births. It's unusual for macrostomia to occur on its own and it is included as a symptom for many diseases including craniofacial microsomia. The clefts result from improper development and fusion of the mandibular and maxillary processes. The clefts cause problems with facial muscle development. The origin of macrostomia is not yet fully understood it could have multiple causes.
No surgical outcomes studies exist for evaluating the function of the thumbs after an on-top plasty reconstruction.
Few clinical outcome studies exist regarding the treatment of central polydactyly. Tada and colleagues note that satisfactory surgical correction of central polydactyly is difficult to achieve and that outcomes are generally poor. In Tada’s study, 12 patients were reviewed. All patients required secondary surgical procedures to address flexion contractures and angular deviation at the IP joint level.
However, several primary factors contribute to the complexity of central polydactyly reconstruction. Hypoplastic joints and soft tissues that predispose the reconstructed finger to joint contracture, and angular deformities as well as complex tendon anomalies, are often difficult to address. Therefore, treatment is wholly dependent on the anatomic components present, the degree of syndactyly, and the function of the duplicated finger.
Surgery may be necessary to address the congenital deformities frequently occurring in conjunction with arthrogryposis. Surgery on feet, knees, hips, elbows and wrists may also be useful if more range of motion is needed after therapy has achieved maximum results. In some cases, tendon transfers can improve function. Congenital deformities of the feet, hips and spine may require surgical correction at or about one year of age.
Exact diagnosis remains widely built on precise history taking, with the characteristic clinical and radiographic skeletal features. Genetic diagnosis is based on DNA sequencing. Because plasma COMP levels are significantly reduced in patients with COMP mutations, such as pseudoachondroplasia, measuring plasma COMP levels has become a reliable means of diagnosing this and pathopysiologically similar disorders.
Omphalocele has been described in two patients with Apert syndrome by Herman T.E. et al. (USA, 2010) and by Ercoli G. et al. (Argentina, 2014). An omphalocele is a birth defect in which an intestine or other abdominal organs are outside of the body of an infant because of a hole in the bellybutton area. However, the association between omphalocele and Apert syndrome is not confirmed yet, so additional studies are necessary.
Diagnosis may be suspected on the basis of the clinical and radiologic findings, and can supported by molecular analysis of the SHOX, SHOXY and PAR1 genes.
May also be suspected by ultrasound during the second trimester of gestation.
Overall prognosis for children with amyoplasia is good. Intensive therapies throughout developing years include physical therapy, occupational therapy and multiple orthopedic procedures. Most children require therapy for years, but almost 2/3 are eventually able to walk, with or without braces, and attend school.
Osteogenesis imperfecta is a rare condition in which bones break easily. There are multiple genetic mutations in different genes for collagen that may result in this condition. It can be treated with some drugs to promote bone growth, by surgically implanting metal rods in long bones to strengthen them, and through physical therapy and medical devices to improve mobility.
Craniofacial abnormalities are congenital musculoskeletal disorders which primarily affect the cranium and facial bones.
They are associated with the development of the pharyngeal arches. Approximately, 5% of the UK or USA population present with dentofacial deformities requiring Orthognathic surgery, jaw surgery, and Orthodontics, brace therapy, as a part of their definitive treatment.
Accurate assessment of plain radiographic findings remains an important contributor to diagnosis of pseudoachondroplasia. It is noteworthy that vertebral radiographic abnormalities tend to resolve over time. Epiphyseal abnormalities tend to run a progressive course. Patients usually suffer early-onset arthritis of hips and knees. Many unique skeletal radiographic abnormalities of patients with pseudoachondroplasia have been reported in the literature.
- Together with rhizomelic limb shortening, the presence of epiphyseal-metaphyseal changes of the long bones is a distinctive radiologic feature of pseudoachondroplasia.
- Hypoplastic capital femoral epiphyses, broad short femoral necks, coxa vara, horizontality of acetabular roof and delayed eruption of secondary ossification center of os pubis and greater trochanter.
- Dysplastic/hypoplastic epiphyses especially of shoulders and around the knees.
- Metaphyseal broadening, irregularity and metaphyseal line of ossification. These abnormalities that are typically encountered in proximal humerus and around the knees are collectively known as “rachitic-like changes”.
- Radiographic lesions of the appendicular skeleton are typically bilateral and symmetric.
- Oval shaped vertebrae with anterior beak originating and platyspondyly demonstrated on lateral radiographs of the spine.
- Normal widening of the interpedicular distances caudally demonstrated on anteroposterior radiographs of the dorsolumbar region. This is an important differentiating feature between pseudoachondroplasia and achondroplasia.
- Odontoid hypoplasia may occur resulting in cervical instability.
There are 4 distinct variations of macrostomia. Classifications are a complete lateral facial cleft, simple macrostomia, macrostomia with diastasis of the facial musculature, and isolated facial musculature diastasis. Each has a different physical appearance with varying levels of severity.
The cleft associated with macrostomia is associated with improper or failed fusion of the mandibular and maxillary processes during embryonic development. This can lead to a variety of abnormalities involving skin, subcutaneous tissue, facial muscles, and the mucous membrane. The severity of each abnormality can vary from minor to severe. Environmental contaminants may play a role in causing macrostomia. Many affected individuals were found in Lagos, an industrial area of Nigeria, where water supplies are known to be contaminated by improper disposal of industrial and domestic waste.
Diagnosis of a trigger thumb is solely made by these clinical observations and further classified into four stages:
Not much research has been done on the epidemiology of congenital trigger thumbs. There are a few reports on the incidence in their respective studies. The most recent data comes from a Japanese study by Kukichi and Ogino where they found an incidence 3.3 trigger thumbs per 1,000 live births in 1 year old children.
One dental textbook defines it as: “Dollicofacial, there is excess of lower facial height usually associated with lower occlusal and mandibular plane angles.” This is often associated “with vertical maxillary excess and mandibular hypoplasia.” Luc P. M. Tourne, a Fellow in the Department of TMJ and Craniofacial Pain at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, noted: "There is a clinically recognizable facial morphology, the long face syndrome, which has been incompletely described in the literature," However, her study of 31 adults with this syndrome, which included "analysis of esthetics, skeletal morphology, and occlusion" confirmed "this basic dentofacial deformity" has associations " with excessive vertical growth of the maxilla." She reported that closed bite and dental open are two pf the syndrome's variants.
The treatment for young patients troubled by long face syndrome is to halt and control descent of the lower jaw and to prevent the eruption of posterior teeth. In severe cases of deformity, a mixture of orthodontics and orthognathic surgery may be the only effective solution. The long term (more than 6 years) effectiveness of surgical treatments for long face syndrome has been subject to study.
"In the American literature, the terms long-face syndrome and short-face syndrome are often used." To be sure, there are reported "long and the short face anomalies" and open bite cases. However, in the opinion of Hugo Obwegeser, there is no medical justification for naming theme as a "syndrome" the signs and symptoms do not meet the definitional threshold.
There is controversy concerning the use of the descriptor "long-face syndrome." While increased anterior "total and lower face height" in many ages, combined with vertical maxillary excess in adults has been observed, the causes are controversial. Specifically, there is disagreement about possible potential environmental influences on genetic components.
Anecdotally, it was said to be a genetic condition, which could only be corrected with “massive amounts” of debilitating, frequent and long dental and facial reconstructive surgery.
For children, there is a concern that mouth breathing can contribute to the development of long face syndrome. A recent study finds that it is a growing problem which should be treated as "It won't just go away." In addition to mouth breathing, it may be associated with sleep apnea.
Because of Long face syndrome's sometime association with pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and allergic reactions, it is essential that treating physicians differentiate the conditions and the treatments; treating one may not cure the other. Multilevel coblation surgery is sometimes used to correct moderate to severe OSA, and Long Face Syndrome can be a rare factor in considering surgery.
It is recommended that women who may become pregnant take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.
"Osteosclerosis", an elevation in bone density, is normally detected on an X-ray as an area of whiteness, and is where the bone density has significantly increased. Localized osteosclerosis can be caused by injuries that compress the bone, by osteoarthritis, and osteoma.
Long face syndrome, also referred to as skeletal open bite, is a relatively common condition experienced by orthodontic patients which caused excessive vertical facial development. Its causes may be either genetic or environmental. Long face syndrome is “a common dentofacial abnormality.” Its diagnosis, symptomology and treatments are complex and controversial. Indeed, even its existence as a "syndrome" is disputed.
Laboratory testing reveals multiple mutations of HCS. Two genetic variants result in sporadic HCS symptoms, which are HCS-02 and HCS-03. These mutations produce symptoms that come and go, but have been present "de novo". HCS-03 was identified as the variant that is passed through afflicted family members and presents symptoms throughout the lifetime of the individual. All variants of HCS lead to the same premature termination of PEST sequences which compromise normal function of "NOTCH2". "NOTCH" has four different receptors, which have an affinity for similar ligands. They are classified as single-pass transmembrane receptors.
There is no known cure. In selected patients orthopaedic surgery may be helpful to try to gain some functionality of severely impaired joints.
Early journal reports of boomerang dysplasia suggested X-linked recessive inheritance, based on observation and family history. It was later discovered, however, that the disorder is actually caused by a genetic mutation fitting an autosomal dominant genetic profile.
Autosomal dominant inheritance indicates that the defective gene responsible for a disorder is located on an autosome, and only one copy of the gene is sufficient to cause the disorder, when inherited from a parent who has the disorder.
Boomerang dysplasia, although an autosomal dominant disorder, is "not" inherited because those afflicted do not live beyond infancy. They cannot pass the gene to the next generation.
The diagnosis is usually based on clinical features present at birth.
Ultrasound in the second trimester may show abnormalities associates with NLS, including polyhydramnios, intrauterine growth restriction, microcephaly, proptosis and decreased fetal motility.
Recovery is difficult to predict prior to surgery, and depends on the type of brain tissue involved and location of the encephaloceles. If surgery is successful, and developmental delays have not occurred, a patient can develop normally. Where neurologic and developmental damage has occurred, the specialists will focus on minimizing both mental and physical disabilities.
In general, when the bulging material consists of primarily cerebrospinal fluid, a complete recovery can occur. When a large amount of brain tissue is present in the encephaloceles, there is a higher chance of perioperative complication.
Also called myofunctional therapy, the basic treatment aims of orofacial myofunctional therapist is to reeducate the movement of muscles, restore correct swallowing patterns, and establish adequate labial-lingual postures. An interdisciplinary nature of treatment is always desirable to reach functional goals in terms of swallowing, speech, and other esthetic factors. A team approach has been shown to be effective in correcting orofacial myofunctional disorders. The teams include an orthodontist, dental hygienist, certified orofacial myologist, general dentist, otorhinolaryngologist, and a speech-language pathologist.