Study of craniofacial morphology and skeletal maturation in juvenile diabetics (Type I)

The aims of this study were to examine the craniofacial morphology of patients with juvenile diabetes, to investigate the effects of juvenile diabetes on general growth and skeletal maturation, and to analyze the pattern of association between craniofacial morphology and skeletal maturation in these patients. The sample consisted of 20 male patients with juvenile diabetes whose ages ranged from 14 to 16 years and who were affected with the condition at least 5 years before the study. Twenty normal subjects, with the same age range, were chosen as a control group. Height, weight, lateral cephalometric and hand-wrist radiographs were taken for all subjects, corrected for magnification distortion, and analyzed. The diabetic patients showed decreased skeletal maturation and decreased cephalometric linear and angular measurements when compared with the control group. These results should be considered when diabetic patients require orthodontic or orthopedic treatment.