Development of face

Face
• It extends from the hairline to lower border of mandible (forehead is common
for face and scalp)
• It extends laterally to the ear auricle
Layers of the face:
1- skin: it is thick, has rich blood supply (rapid healing)
2- superficial fascia : contains muscles, vessels and nerves of the face
*No deep fascia - in most of the face (to allow for facial expression)
Face
Objectives
• Process of development of face
• Process of development of palate
• Developmental anomalies
Development of face

• Facial development occurs mainly between the fourth

and eighth weeks.

• By the end of the embryonic period, (8th week) the face

has the human appearance.
Embryo at 4-5 weeks (Lateral view)
 Five facial primordia
appear as prominences
around the stomodeum:

• The single frontonasal

prominence

• The paired maxillary

prominences

• The paired mandibular

prominences
 1 Frontonasal prominence

2 Maxillary prominences

2 Mandibular prominences

Stomatodeum
• By the end of the fourth
week, in the frontonasal
prominence, a bilateral
oval thickenings in the
surface ectoderm, form
the nasal placodes

• Nasal placodes are the

primordia of the nose

and nasal cavities
• Initially these placodes

are convex
• Mesenchyme in the margins
of the placodes proliferate,
producing horse shoe shaped
elevations called medial and
lateral nasal prominences

• Now the nasal placodes lie in

depression called nasal pits

• These pits are the primordia

of the anterior nares
(nostrils) and nasal cavities
Development of face
• Initially, the maxillary and lateral nasal prominences are separated by a
deep furrow, the nasolacrimal groove.
• Ectoderm in the floor of this groove forms a solid epithelial cord that
detaches from the overlying ectoderm.
• After canalization, the cord forms the nasolacrimal duct; its upper end
widens to form the lacrimal sac.
• Following detachment of the cord, the maxillary and lateral nasal
prominences merge with each other.
• The nasolacrimal duct then runs from the medial corner of the eye to the
inferior meatus of the nasal cavity, and the maxillary prominences enlarge
to form the cheeks and maxillae
Development of palate
Intermaxillary segment
• As a result of medial growth of the maxillary prominences, the two
medial nasal prominences merge not only at the surface but also at a
deeper level.
• The structure formed by the two merged prominences is the
intermaxillary segment
Intermaxillary segment
It is composed of
(1) a labial component, which forms the philtrum of the upper lip;
(2) an upper jaw component, which carries the four incisor teeth; and
(3) a palatal component, which forms the triangular primary palate

The intermaxillary segment is continuous with the rostral portion of the

nasal septum, which is formed by the frontal prominence.
Secondary palate
• Although the primary palate is derived from the intermaxillary
segment, the main part of the definitive palate is formed by two shelf-
like outgrowths from the maxillary prominences.
• These outgrowths, the palatine shelves, appear in the sixth week of
development and are directed obliquely downward on each side of
the tongue.
• In the seventh week, however, the palatine shelves ascend to attain a
horizontal position above the tongue and fuse, forming the secondary
palate.
6.5-week embryo
10 weeks embryo
• Anteriorly, the shelves fuse with the triangular primary palate, and
the incisive foramen is the midline landmark between the primary
and secondary palates.
• At the same time as the palatine shelves fuse, the nasal septum grows
down and joins with the cephalic aspect of the newly formed palate.
Nose
The nose is derived from
(1) the frontonasal prominence, which forms the bridge;
(2) the medial nasal prominences, which provide the crest and tip; and
(3) the lateral nasal prominences, which form the alae
Nasal cavity
Paranasal air sinuses

• develop as diverticula of the lateral nasal wall and extend into

the maxilla, ethmoid, frontal, and sphenoid bones.
Developmental anomalies
Anomalies
• Craniofacial: These are defects associated with tissue fusion.
Estimated 1/3 of all congenital defects are craniaofacial
• Facial Clefts - Anomalies associated with defective fusion of
Facial prominences
1. Cleft lip - failure of maxillary prominence to fuse with
intermaxillary process
2. Cleft palate - failure of the lateral palatine processes to fuse
 Congenital Anomalies of Face &
Palate
• 1- Inclusion dermoid: cystic swelling at line of fusions between
processes of the face.
• 2- Oblique facial cleft: failure of fusion between maxillary and fronto-
nasal processes.
• 2- Macrostomia or Microstomia : defective or marked fusion between
maxillary and mandibular processes.
• 3- Cleft (hare) lip: cleft lip due to failure of fusion between maxillary
process and intermaxillary segment.
• 4- Cleft palate: failure of fusion between different parts that form
palate. It could be:
• A- Unilateral complete cleft palate.
• B- Bilateral complete cleft palate.
• C- Partial cleft palate.
• D- Cleft uvula.
Cleft lip and cleft palate
Before After
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