Introduction:

Once established, dentofacial sequels of congenital torticollis can only be healed by surgery. Early identification of sufferers and timely treatment are indispensable to achieve a favorable long-term evolution.

Objective:

Identify potentially useful factors from the perspective of fundamental prevention of congenital torticollis.

Methods:

An observational longitudinal prospective study was conducted of patients diagnosed with congenital muscular torticollis attending the Secondary Care Polyclinic at the South Children's Hospital in Santiago de Cuba from September 2016 to September 2018. The sample was 20 patients diagnosed with the disease. The variables analyzed were grouped into clinical and imaging.

Results:

There was a predominance of male patients with 14 cases (70%). Diagnosis of most cases was performed early: 3 (15%) at the neonatal stage and 14 (70%) between 29 days and 6 months. The most feared complications, such as facial asymmetry, plagiocephalic deformity, and orbital and auricular dystopia, were mainly found to be associated to late diagnosis and treatment. Computed axial tomography only surpassed radiography in spotting neurological complications.

Conclusions:

Early care is the best therapeutic option to prevent complications in children with congenital muscular torticollis.

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