Nasolabial Growth in Individuals With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: A Preliminary Study of Longitudinal Observation Using Three-Dimensional Stereophotogrammetry.

There are limited numbers of studies comparing the preoperative and postoperative facial features of infants with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) using three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry. The authors attempted an anthropometric analysis of nasolabial asymmetry 1 year after primary lip repair using a handheld 3D imaging system. Five different nasolabial dimensions in 24 infants with UCLP were measured using 3D images captured during primary lip repair and again, 1 year after the repair. The nasal and upper-lip elements of the cleft side were significantly changed after primary lip repair, and nasolabial asymmetry was anthropometrically improved. This is a preliminary longitudinal observation of nasolabial growth in individuals with UCLP using 3D stereophotogrammetric technique. The authors would like to follow these children until adulthood, capturing 3D images at every intervention.