Facial Asymmetry in Nonsyndromic and Muenke Syndrome–Associated Unicoronal Synostosis: A 3-Dimensional Study Based on Facial Surfaces Extracted From CT Scans. (June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Öwall, Louise; Darvann, Tron A.; Hove, Hanne B.; Heliövaara, Arja; Dunø, Morten; Kreiborg, Sven; Hermann, Nuno V.
• Is Part Of: Cleft palate-craniofacial journal. Volume 58:Number 6(2021)
• Page Start: 687
• Page End: 696
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Subjects: facial morphology -- synostosis -- pediatrics; Cleft palate -- Periodicals; Skull -- Abnormalities -- Periodicals; Cranial manipulation -- Periodicals; Skull -- Abnormalities -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Face -- Abnormalities -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Fente palatine -- Périodiques; Crâne -- Malformations -- Périodiques; Manipulation crânienne -- Périodiques; Crâne -- Malformations -- Chirurgie -- Périodiques; Face -- Malformations -- Chirurgie -- Périodiques; Cleft palate; Cranial manipulation; Face -- Abnormalities -- Surgery; Skull -- Abnormalities; Skull -- Abnormalities -- Surgery; Cleft Lip; Cleft Palate; Facial Bones -- abnormalities; Skull -- abnormalities; Periodicals; Periodicals; Periodicals; 617.522
• DOI: 10.1177/1055665620959983
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1055-6656

Abstract

Objective: To quantify soft tissue facial asymmetry (FA) in children with nonsyndromic and Muenke syndrome–associated unicoronal synostosis (NS-UCS and MS-UCS), hypothesizing that MS-UCS presents with significantly larger FA than NS-UCS. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Patients and Methods: Twenty-one children (mean age: 0.6 years; range: 0.1-1.4 years) were included in the study (NS-UCS = 14; MS-UCS = 7). From presurgical computed tomography scans, facial surfaces were constructed for analysis. A landmark guided atlas was deformed to match each patient's surface, obtaining spatially detailed left-right point correspondence. Facial asymmetry was calculated in each surface point across the face, as the length (mm) of an asymmetry vector, with its Cartesian components providing 3 directions. Mean FA was calculated for the full face, and the forehead, eye, nose, cheek, mouth, and chin regions. Results: For the full face, a significant difference of 2.4 mm ( P = .001) was calculated between the 2 groups, predominately in the transverse direction (1.5 mm; P < .001). The forehead and chin regions presented with the largest significant difference, 3.5 mm ( P = .002) and 3.2 mm ( P < .001), respectively; followed by the eye (2.4 mm; P = .004), cheek (2.2 mm; P = .004), nose (1.7 mm; P = .001), and mouth (1.4 mm; P = .009) regions. The transverse direction presented with the largest significant difference in the forehead, chin, mouth, and nose regions, the sagittal direction in the cheek region, and the vertical direction in the eye region. Conclusions: Muenke syndrome–associated unicoronal synostosis presented with significantly larger FA in all regions compared to NS-UCS. The largest significant differences were found in the forehead and chin regions, predominantly in the transverse direction.