Three-dimensional study of growth and development of the nose.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to describe normal nasal growth in a large sample of boys and girls from 6 to 14 years of age, to compare nasal development at 14 years of age with its adult dimensions, and to evaluate differences in growth patterns between males and females.


METHODS
Growth and development of the nose were analyzed through the three-dimensional facial morphometry method. One thousand thirteen examinations were performed on 402 children between 6 and 14 years of age and on 101 adults. Three-dimensional coordinates of five nasal landmarks were collected. Eleven parameters including nasal volume and external surface were calculated and averaged for age and sex.


RESULTS
Volume, surface, and linear distances were larger in males than in females, with the exception of the 11-to-12 age group, where a sharp female growth spurt was present. In males, the growth spurt was broader, and continued to 13 years of age at a nearly steady rate. Statistically significant gender differences could be found both in the adult group and before the adolescent growth spurt.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings are in general agreement with previous reports on craniofacial growth, which suggested a strong tendency in males for growth to continue for several years beyond that seen in females.
Ferrario
V F
VF
Laboratorio di Anatomia Funzionale dell'Apparato Stomatognatico (LAFAS), Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
Sforza
C
C
Poggio
C E
CE
Schmitz
J H
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008445:Maxillofacial Development; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D011627:Puberty; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D014741:Video Recording