Clinical, radiological, and audiological relationships in hemifacial microsomia

Hemifacial microsomia is a craniofacial disorder involving structures derived from the first and second brachial arches. Bony structures, soft tissue, and the facial nerve can all be hypoplastic or absent. In this retrospective study of 70 patients at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, craniofacial dysmorphology, temporal bone computed tomography, and audiological evaluations were examined. The purpose of this study was to identify further relationships between clinical findings, temporal bone anatomy, and audiological findings in these patients. Significant relationships were identified between total radiographic score and overall clinical findings (p<0.001). Clinical measurements of mandibular hypoplasia were also predictive of temporal computed tomographic findings (p<0.001), whereas clinical ear findings were related specifically to specific temporal bone abnormalities such as hypoplasia of the middle ear (p=0.008) and fusion or absence of ossicles (p<0.001). Interestingly, neither clinical findings nor temporal bone computed tomographic findings were related to either hearing loss type or degree. Audiology should not be deferred on the basis of relatively mild clinical findings.