Craniofacial Morphology in Klinefelter Syndrome: A Roentgencephalometric Investigation

Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation was to compare the craniofacial morphology in a group of subjects with Klinefelter syndrome (XXY) with a control group in order to discover whether the abnormal chromosome constitution combined with the related endo— crinologic aberrations had influenced craniofacial morphogenesis. The sample was comprised of 37 adult subjects with true Klinefelter syndrome. The control group consisted of 102 adult male students. For each subject, roentgencephalometric films in the lateral and frontal projections were obtained. Twenty-nine angular and 27 linear dimensions were measured directly on each film. The calvarium was smaller, the cranial base angle was smaller, and the gonz'on angle was larger in the Klinefelter than in the control group. Furthermore, the subjects with Klinefelter syndrome exhibited increased maxillary and mandibular prognathz'sm which could be related to the altered shape of the cranial base.