Thalassic face also known as
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The thalassic face is also known as the "chipmunk face" or "rodent face" (also sometimes called the Cooley's facies).
It refers to the characteristic facial appearance seen in children with β-thalassemia major (also called Cooley's anemia). The features arise from compensatory expansion of the bone marrow — the body tries to compensate for severe hemolytic anemia by expanding erythropoiesis in the skull and facial bones, leading to:
- Prominence of the forehead (frontal bossing)
- Maxillary hypertrophy (overgrowth of the upper jaw)
- Flat or depressed nasal bridge
- Protrusion of the upper teeth
- Enlarged skull with hair-on-end appearance on X-ray
This gives the child a characteristic "chipmunk" or "rodent" facies, which is a hallmark clinical sign of inadequately transfused β-thalassemia major.
— Emery's Elements of Medical Genetics and Genomics
In summary:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Thalassic face | Chipmunk face / Rodent face / Cooley's facies |
| Cause | Bone marrow hypertrophy from compensatory extramedullary erythropoiesis |
| Seen in | β-Thalassemia major (untreated/undertreated) |
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