Van Wart (1978) reported a family in which father and 2 daughters had congenital absence of the nasal bones. Two sons and another daughter were normal.
Guerrissi (1993) reported a 20-year-old woman with absence of both ... Van Wart (1978) reported a family in which father and 2 daughters had congenital absence of the nasal bones. Two sons and another daughter were normal. Guerrissi (1993) reported a 20-year-old woman with absence of both nasal bones as an isolated malformation. Absence of the nasal bones was determined by means of internal and external examination, and subsequently confirmed by radiographic scan. The upper cartilaginous vault had a cartilaginous hump that was formed not only by excess cartilage, but also indirectly by lack of the bones. Other esthetic defects included deficient tip projection, small nostrils, and a short columella. Guerrissi (1993) suggested that the absence of both nasal bones was produced by failure of the development of both centers of ossification. Klinger et al. (2005) reported a 26-year-old woman who had isolated absence of nasal bones, and, in their stead, a hump composed exclusively of septal cartilage and the cranial portion of the upper lateral cartilages. CT scan confirmed that the nose was supported exclusively by cartilaginous structures. Rhinoplasty was performed with good result and without complications during 2-year follow-up. At clinical examination, the patient's father showed the same isolated nasal defect and a deceased maternal uncle was said to have been affected.