Nasoalveolar molding in complete cleft lip nasal deformity patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare nostril height, width, collumelar length, interalar distance and nostril symetry between unilateral complete cleft lip/palate patients undergoing nasoalveolar moulding (NAM) and incomplete cleft lip patients/palate with no need of presurgical moulding before and after cheiloplasty with primary nasal correction. Our study group included 18 patients from whom 9 were NAM cleft lip/palate nasal deformity cases and 9 incomplete cleft lip/palate cases. All measurements were obtained by two independent investigators and averaged, standard deviations and symetry ratios were calculated, and paired and unpaired t-test was performed to compare the groups.

RESULTS: Our study results showed no statistically significant difference in nostril height, width, collumelar lenght, interalar distance in unilateral cases in preoperative and postoperative measurements between these two groups. Symetry measurements included nostril width on the affected and nonaffected side, nostril height on the affected and nonaffected side before (T1) and after (T2) cheiloplasty. The nostril height ratio was 1.2 and 1.03 for T1 to T2 and the nostril width revealed a ratio of 0.5 and 0.8 for T1 to T2 in unilateral NAM cases. In the incomplete cleft lip group the height ratio was 1.04 and 1.03 for T1 to T2 and the width ratio was 0.59/0.93 in pre-/postoperative measurements. These symetry values showed also no statistical significance between NAM and incomplete cleft lip cases.

CONCLUSION: Our study results showed no statistical significant difference in nostril height, width, collumelar lenght, interalar distance and nostril symetry between unilateral complete cleft lip/palate patients undergoing NAM and incomplete cleft lip patients/palate with no need of presurgical moulding, proving NAM combined with primary nasal correction is a very efficient management for cleft lip/palate children with outstanding results (Tab. 5, Fig. 4, Ref. 25).

KEYWORDS: nasoalveolar molding, complete cleft lip nasal deformity, cleft lip, nostril height, width, collumelar lenght, interalar distance, nostril symetry.