Craniocarpotarsal dysplasia: the whistling face syndrome

Currently, 50 cases of craniocarpotarsal dysplasia, or whistling face syndrome (WFS), have been reported, with more than 60 anatomical anomalies involving the head, hands, and feet, in addition to the face. In spite of the fact that there is much information concerning the surgical correction of many of these deformities, such as the surgical program for the hands outlined by Call and Strickland in 1981, there is little information concerning the surgical correction of facial deformities. In view of this, we present here a case report of a patient with WFS and our surgical approach to the facial deformities involved. Since January 24, 1983, when this 7-year-old girl first came into our care, she has successfully undergone a total forehead reshaping, correction of congenital upper eyelid ptosis, and a bilateral commissuroplasty. Follow-up for more than three years has shown stable surgical results.