Purpose: The aim of this study was to use a novel system, 'Analyse It Doc' (A.I.D.) for a complex anthropometric analysis of the nasolabial region in patients with repaired unilateral complete cleft lip and palate and in healthy individuals.
Materials and methods: A set of standardized facial photographs in frontal, lateral and submental view have been taken in 50 non-cleft controls (mean age 20.6 years) and 42 patients with repaired unilateral complete cleft and palate (mean age 19.57 years). Then, based on linear, angular and area measurements taken from the digital photographs with the aid of the A.I.D. system, a photogrammetric analysis of intergroup differences in nasolabial morphology and symmetry was conducted.
Results: Patients with cleft lip and palate differed from the controls in terms of more than half of analysed angular measurements and proportion indices derived from linear and area measurements of the nasolabial region.
Conclusions: The findings presented herein imply that despite primary surgical repair, patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate still show some degree of nasolabial dysmorphology. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the novel computer system is suitable for a reliable, simple and time-efficient anthropometric analysis in a clinical setting.
Keywords: Aesthetics; Anthropometry; Cleft lip; Cleft palate; Evaluation; Nose.
Copyright © 2017 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.