Photogrammetric Evaluation of Soft Tissue Profile and Frontal Photographs in Repaired Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the soft tissue profile and frontal photographs of 8- to 12-year-old patients with repaired complete bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP). Methods: The profile and frontal photographs obtained from 31 nonsyndromic BCLP children (aged 8-12 years: 14 boys and 17 girls) were analyzed and compared with an age- and sex-matched normal population (18 boys and 32 girls). In each patient, 12 soft tissue angular and proportional parameters on the frontal photograph and 12 angular parameters for the profile photographs were developed and measured. Student t test was used to compare the mean value of the parameters between both sexes. Results: In the frontal view, there was a significant difference between the 2 study groups in the facial symmetry angle ( P < .001), lower facial height proportion ( P < .001), upper lip proportion ( P < .001), and interalar width/distance between the inner canthus of the eyes ( P < .001). In the profile view, there was a significant difference between the control group and the patients with cleft lip and palate in terms of nasofrontal angle ( P < .001), nasal angle ( P < .001), angle of the inferior facial third ( P = .032), head position angle ( P < .001), facial convexity angle ( P < .001), total facial convexity angle ( P < .001), and vertical nasal angle ( P < .001). Conclusion: In comparison with the normal population, the face of patients with repaired BCLP showed several soft tissue deformities, especially in the nasofrontal region, even after a surgical repair.