Short face

What it means

Facial height (length) is more than two standard deviations below the mean (objective); or an apparent decrease in the height (length) of the face (subjective).

Objective measurement of face height is made with sliding calipers from the nasion, just above the depth of the nasal root to the gnathion, the inferior border of the mandible, both in the midline. Note that short face is distinct from wide face.

Rare diseases that can present with this4

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Decreased length of face · Decreased vertical dimension of face · Short facies · Vertical deficiency of face · Vertical Facial Deficiency · Vertical facial insufficiency · Vertical hypoplasia of face · Vertical insufficiency of face