Three-dimensional nasal asymmetry analysis between adolescence and adulthood in postoperative patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate using computed tomography

AIM

To investigate the differences of the nasal soft and hard tissue asymmetry in postoperative patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) between adolescence and adulthood, and to explore the correlation of nasal soft and hard tissue asymmetry.

METHODS

CT data from 47 repaired UCLP patients were included and divided into two groups:1. adolescent group: 23 patients (15 males, 8 females; age: 10-12 years old). 2. adult group: 24 patients (16 males, 8 females; age:18-32 years old). The three-dimensional asymmetry in nasal soft and hard tissues was analyzed. Additionally, the correlation between nasal soft and hard tissue asymmetry was also analyzed.

RESULTS

Both the adolescent group and adult group showed asymmetries in nasal soft and hard tissues. Compared to the adolescent group, the adult group had a significantly increased horizontal asymmetry of nasal soft tissues Sbal (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the sagittal asymmetry of soft tissue Glat (P < 0.05), Sbal (P < 0.001), Sni (P < 0.001) and hard tissue LPA (P < 0.05) also increased significantly. In the adult group, there were more landmarks with a correlation between the asymmetry of nasal hard tissue and soft tissue compared to the adolescent group. There were moderate to strong correlations between nasal hard and soft tissue symmetries in the horizontal and sagittal directions (0.444 < r < 764), but no correlation in the vertical direction in the adult group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The asymmetry of nasal soft and hard tissues in patients with repaired UCLP becomes more apparent in the horizontal and sagittal dimensions from adolescence to adulthood. The correlation between the asymmetry of nasal hard tissue and soft tissue becomes stronger in the horizontal and sagittal dimensions. These factors should be taken into account when performing treatment for repaired UCLP patients in adolescence and adulthood.

Treatment of the Crooked Nose

The crooked nose is a challenging esthetic and functional problem. The surgeon must carefully evaluate baseline facial asymmetry as well as whether deviation stems from the upper third, middle third, or lower third of the nose. Surgical intervention should be tailored accordingly, with techniques geared toward addressing each deviated section. Modified dorsal preservation techniques represent a newer means to address deviations. Operative results must be measured, ideally through patient-reported outcomes measures, to quantify overall success.

Educational intervention for the evaluation of nasal symmetry in cleft lip and palate operated patients

Background

Nasal asymmetry is one of the most frequent characteristics of patients with cleft lip and palate. The anthropometric measurement (AM) is an accessible and reliable method that can be used by specialists to evaluate nasal asymmetry in patients with cleft lip and palate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention applied to cleft lip and palate specialists to increase the accuracy of AM in the evaluation of nasal asymmetry.

Methods

Quasi-experimental study.

Results

In the first phase of the study, five of the 13 AM reported a mean difference (MD) > 1.5 mm, and 12 of the 13 AM showed results greater than 2 SD (standard deviations). In the second phase, the results showed 11 of the 13 AM with MD < 1 mm, and 9 of the 13 AM were less than 2 SD.

Conclusions

The intervention carried out with the manual of AMs increased the knowledge of the specialists on the anatomy points and AM that can be used to evaluate the nasal asymmetry in patients with cleft lip and palate. Educational intervention help to increase the agreement between examiners to perform a reliable evaluation of nasal asymmetry in patients with these conditions.