title: Nasolabial symmetry and aesthetics in children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between nasolabial symmetry and aesthetics in children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP). Frontal and basal photographs of 60 consecutively treated children with CUCLP (cleft group: 41 boys and 19 girls, mean (SD) age 11 (2) years) and 44 children without clefts (control group: 16 boys and 28 girls, mean (SD) age 11(2) years), were used for evaluation of nasolabial symmetry and aesthetics. Nasal and labial measurements were made to calculate the coefficient of asymmetry (CA). The 5-grade aesthetic index described by Asher-McDade et al. was used to evaluate nasolabial appearance. Correlation and regression analysis were used to identify an association between aesthetics and CA, sex, and the presence of CUCLP. Ten measurements in the cleft, and 2 in the control, group differed significantly between the cleft and non-cleft (or right and left) sides, respectively. The significantly higher values of 9 of 11 CA in the children with CUCLP indicated that they had more asymmetrical nasolabial areas than children without clefts. However, the regression analyses showed that only a few CA were associated with nasolabial aesthetics. In conclusion, nasolabial aesthetics and nasolabial symmetry seem to be only weakly associated in patients with CUCLP.
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. P.Fudalej@dent.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fudalej
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Katsaros
authors.forename: Kamil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hozyasz
authors.forename: Wilfred A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Borstlap
authors.forename: Anne Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kuijpers-Jagtman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D004954:Esthetics; D005146:Facial Asymmetry / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012044:Regression Analysis