Undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia as a key factor in pathogenesis of maxillofacial disorders

Abstract

In order to detect pathomorphological changes and identify the severity of maxillofacial disorders, 137 children with different degrees of connective tissue dysplasia (CTD) and 46 healthy children were examined by means of cone beam computed tomography to check their X-ray morphometric index as well as lower jaw optical density index. At the same time, the quantitative ultrasonic densitometry method was employed to evaluate the status of the peripheral skeleton bone tissue. The quantitative X-ray morphometric index in healthy children and children with CTD were found to have strong positive correlation with the osteodensitometry Z-criterion, reflecting reliably the bone tissue status in the peripheral skeleton. The progression of connective tissue dysplastic disorders in children, which correlates with the intensity of maxillofacial bone structures destruction and the severity of collagen degradation mechanisms, was accompanied by an increase in chronic productive inflammation; reduced in x-ray density; fibrous transformation of bone tissue; a decrease in the thickness of the lower jaw cortical plate and its dissociation; predominance of medium- and fine-meshed bone pattern; impaired space orientation and thinning of the bone trabeculas as well as pathological processes in the periodontium