Delaire's cheilorhinoplasty: unilateral cleft aesthetic outcome scored according to the EUROCLEFT guidelines.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study is to evaluate, in accordance with EUROCLEFT guidelines, the aesthetics of nasolabial area in a sample of complete unilateral cleft of lip and palate patients (UCLP), after surgical correction with Delaire' technique.


METHODS
Twenty-two UCLP patients (16 males and 6 females, 9 right and 13 left side clefts) were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients were operated at 7 (mean value) months of age by a single surgeon. Frontal and sub-mental photos for each baby were recorded at 8.5 (mean value) years of age, and evaluated twice, by three independent maxillofacial surgeons. A five-point scale (EUROCLEFT guidelines) was used. Nonparametric analysis (Kruskal-Wallis test) was applied to detect differences in medians obtained in studied groups.


RESULTS
Kruskal-Wallis test showed no statistical significant differences among evaluations of three surgeons and between the first and the second evaluation of the same surgeon. The global appearance of the upper lip and nose was scored with a mean value of 2 (i.e. good). The sample was then divided into two subgroups, according with patient' age; the aesthetics and the symmetry of the nose resulted better in elder patients (i.e. subgroup A, mean period of observation=10.2 years), whereas upper lip achieved better results in younger patients (i.e. subgroup B, mean period of observation=4.9 years).


CONCLUSIONS
EUROCLEFT guidelines are a useful method to evaluate--aesthetically and over time--cleft lip and palate patients, treated with a single surgical procedure. We hypothesize that Delaire technique could progressively improve aesthetics and symmetry of the nose, throughout the growth of the patient.
Rullo
Rosario
R
Dental Clinic, Second University of Naples, Via De Crecchio, 80138 Napoli, Italy. rosario.rullo@unina2.it
Carinci
Francesco
F
Mazzarella
Nicoletta
N
Festa
Vincenzo Maria
VM
Farina
Antonio
A
Morano
Danila
D
Carls
Friedrick
F
Gombos
Fernando
F
D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome