Facial duplication -- the unique case of Antonio

A case of facial duplication with its surgical correction in childhood and the consequences on facial growth is reported. It is a unique case in the duration of observation. The following structures were fully duplicated: the nose, the premaxilla, the cribriform plate, the crista galli. In addition there was an enormous facial cleft including lip, alveolus and palate. Additionally there were two rudimentary eye sockets, eyes, and two supplementary eyebrows. The monstrous hypertelorism with the facial duplication was corrected at the age of ten. The surgical procedure is described and the postoperative complications are discussed. Gross lack of growth of the middle third of the facial skeleton was observed. This was probably the consequence of the initial corrective surgery. Overgrowth of the mandible created a gorilla-like appearance by the end of the growth period. This was corrected in one operation by advancement of the middle third in three sections and repositioning of the mandible as a whole together with the mandibular anterior alveolar segment. Finally all parts of the lower half of the nose had to be enlarged, both soft tissues as well as the cartilaginous framework. A pharyngoplasty in addition to the correction of the intermaxillary abnormalities did much to improve the speech quality of the patient. A large secondary cranial defect was successfully reconstructed with the use of 14 halved ribs. In spite of the removal of four ribs from one side and three ribs from the other, there were no postoperative respiratory problems. Spontaneous rib regeneration was found where ribs had been removed one year earlier.