3D Assessment of Lip Scarring and Residual Dysmorphology following Surgical Repair of Cleft Lip and Palate: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Objective To evaluate lip scarring and the three-dimensional (3D) lip morphology following primary reconstruction in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) relative to contemporaneous noncleft data. Design Retrospective, cross-sectional, controlled study. Setting Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, University of Glasgow, U.K. Patients and participants Three groups of 10-year-old children: 51 with UCLP, 43 UCL (unilateral cleft lip), and 68 controls. Methods Three-dimensional images of the face were recorded using stereo cameras on a two-pod capture station, and 3D coordinates of anthropometric landmarks were extracted from the facial images. A novel method was applied to quantify residual scarring and the associated lip dysmorphologies. The relationships among outcome measures were investigated. Results Residual lip dysmorphologies were more pronounced in UCLP cases. The width of the Cupid's bow was increased due to lateral displacement of the Christa philteri left (cphL) in both UCL and UCLP patients. In the upper part of the lip, the nostril base was significantly wider in UCLP cases when compared with UCL cases and controls. Scar redness was more pronounced in UCL than in UCLP cases. No relationship could be identified between lip scarring and other measurements of lip dysmorphology. Conclusions Stereophotogrammetry, together with associated image analysis, allow early detection of residual dysmorphology following cleft repair.