Median Craniofacial Hypoplasia

Median craniofacial hypoplasia is characterized by tissue deficiency of the midline facial structures and/or brain. Patients can present with a wide variety of facial differences that may or may not require operative intervention. Common reconstructive procedures include cleft lip and/or palate repair, rhinoplasty, and orthognathic surgery, among others. Surgical needs can vary greatly among patients and an individualized management plan is critical. In this paper, the authors present a case series of 3 patients with different severities of median craniofacial hypoplasia, including a discussion of their surgical procedures and the reconstructive principles used to guide their management. The authors also present a general algorithm for the surgical management of median craniofacial hypoplasia, which considers each patient's unique medical and surgical circumstances.