A study on usefulness of the reference line in diagnosis of the facial asymmetry

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between soft tissue reference line and hard tissue reference line using the standardized photographs and the posteroanterior cephalometric radiographs(P-A)in facial asymmetric patients and to compare the differences of angular measurement between normal group and asymmetry group. METHODS: Normal group consisted of 44 persons with normal occlusion and normal facial morphology. Asymmetry group consisted of 90 patients with facial asymmetry. Standardized facial photographs and P-A were taken in all subjects. The horizontal reference lines were bipupillary line in photographs and latero-orbitale line in P-A respectively. The vertical reference line were the line from the midpoint of horizontal reference line perpendicularly. Angular measurement of otobasion canting, lip canting, nose deviation, chin deviation, and maxillary deviation were compared and analyzed in photographs. And angular measurement of mastoid canting, mandibular canting, nose deviation, chin deviation, and maxillary deviation were compared and analyzed in P-A. RESULTS: 1. The variables of photographs and P-A were significantly related in the asymmetry group. 2. Significant differences between all variables except for PT2 and PA2 were shown in the asymmetry group and between PT1 and PA1, PT3 and PA3 in the normal group respectively. 3. Comparison measurement scores of angular difference between control group and experimental group concerning each variable showed significant difference except for PA1. CONCLUSIONS: Soft tissue components may not compensate for underlying skeletal imbalance in nose deviation and chin deviation. The horizontal reference lines in photographs were significant related with the P-A, but angular variables between the two studies show significant differences. Therefore, we do not recommend use photography in the assessment the facial asymmetry as complemented in the P-A.