Mandibular prognathism develops as a result of several factors including infant osteogenetic disturbance, mechanical factors such as malocclusion, and heredity. The condition is characterized by an enlarged mandible, an increased mandibular angle and arch of the circle of the sigmoid notch, and masticatory and phonetic .disturbances. Curative treatment involves surgery using Castro's technique, which makes use of an extra-oral approach that leaves an inconspicuous scar.Mandibular prognathism is referred to by many names, including promentonism, promandibulism, mandibular protrusion or protraction, or progenia. Clinically, the condition is an anterior or ventral projection of the mandible in the midsagittal plane. It is pathological and has a genetic component, developing during the morphogenetic period. Anthropologically, however, prognathism is the protrusion of the subnasal (maxillomandibular) facial complex, and is ethnic, not pathological.Several factors are involved in the etiology of the condition. One is an osteogenetic disturbance in infancy. According to Sarnat and Robinson [6], this is the result of increased activity in the growth center of the mandibular condyle. Second, according to Carrea [1], mechanical factors favor the development of the deformity, including malocclusion and defective implantation of the teeth. These factors are probably controllable in infancy. Finally, there is clinical and historical evidence for a hereditary factor. Lepoivre [5] points to the Habsburg family as a well-known example of familial progna-Address reprint requests to Dr. Roberto Farina,