Classification, etiology, and genetic aspects of craniofacial anomalies.

The shape and function of the cranium and face at birth are the end-products of complex and poorly understood developmental processes. In this article I will attempt first to review normal craniofacial development, believing that this basic information is essential to the understanding of abnormal development. I will then review a scheme of classification of anomalies based on etiologic considerations, illustrating each etiologic factor with conditions encountered in practice. Genetic principles in the etiology of craniofacial anomalies will be emphasized. Because of space constraints, no attempt will be made to catalogue syndromes of craniofacial anomalies. The reader is referred to standard reference texts for such comprehensive listings.