Three-dimensional nasal shape classification in patients with repaired cleft lip

Aim: To determine 3-dimensional (3D) shape parameters that describe nasal form in children with repaired cleft lip and non-cleft ‘control' children. Methods: The study sample consisted of 55 children with a repaired cleft lip and palate and 26 non-cleft subjects. 3D images of the face were recorded using a rainbow 3D camera system. All facial images were standardized to a common head orientation. Statistics: A 20-dimensional feature vector that described each subject's nasal form was extracted from the data. Then, a vector quantization technique was applied to the feature vectors to describe the optimum number of 3D nasal shape patterns in terms of mathematical codes. Results: The results were that the nasal shapes in the total sample were described by seven mathematical codes. The maximum differences of the feature vectors between the children with a cleft lip and the non-cleft subjects were related to the morphology of the nasal alar, bridge, dorsum, tip, and base. The percentage of children with cleft lip and non-cleft subjects in each code were as follows: Code 1= 21.1% and 78.9%, Code 2= 89.5% and 10.5%, Code 3= 81.2% and 18.8%, Code 4= 90.9% and 9.1%, Code 5= 100% and 0%, Code 6= 0% and 100%, and Code 7= 75.0% and 25.0%, respectively. Conclusion: Non-cleft ‘normal' subjects were mainly in the Codes 1 and 6 categories and to a lesser extent in Codes 2, 3, 4 and 7. Patients with cleft lip were exclusively in the Codes 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 categories and to a lesser extent in Code 1. These findings imply that nasal shape can be objectively categorized, and there is greater variation in nasal shape for the patients with cleft lip. (Supported by NIDCR Grant # R01DE13814)