Cephalometric assessment of soft tissue morphology of patients with acromegaly
Abstract
Aim
To assess the sagittal soft tissue morphology of patients with acromegaly in comparison with a healthy control group.
Methods
Twenty-seven patients with acromegaly (11 male, 16 female; mean age 47.3 ± 11.5 years) and 30 healthy subjects (15 male, 15 female; mean age 42.2 ± 17.4 years) were included in the study. Linear and angular measurements were made on lateral cephalograms to evaluate soft tissue and skeletal characteristics. The intergroup comparisons were analysed with the Student’s t-test.
Results
Facial convexity (p < 0.01) and the nasolabial angle (p < 0.001) were reduced in patients with acromegaly, whereas nose prominence (p < 0.01), upper lip sulcus depth (p < 0.01), upper lip thickness (p < 0.01), basic upper lip thickness (p < 0.01), lower lip protrusion (p < 0.05), mentolabial sulcus depth (p < 0.05) and soft tissue chin thickness (p < 0.001) were increased. Anterior cranial base length (p < 0.05), the supraorbital ridge (p < 0.01), the length of the maxilla and mandible (p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively) were significantly increased, and mandibular prognathism was an acromegalic feature (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
Acromegalic coarsening and thickening of the craniofacial soft tissues was identified from lateral cephalograms, which may therefore contribute to early diagnosis when evaluated together with other changes caused by the disease.
© 2021 Nehir Canigur Bavbek, Burcu Balos Tuncer, Cumhur Tuncer, Kahraman Gungor, Cigdem Ozkan, Emre Arslan, Alev Eroglu Altinova, Mujde Akturk, Fusun Balos Toruner, published by Australian Society of Orthodontists Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.