Detailed morphometry of the nose in patients with Treacher Collins syndrome.

Abstract

Patients with Treacher Collins syndrome were studied regarding 10 nasal, 1 orbital, and 4 facial measurements as well as 10 facial proportion indexes. Data from 15 to 24 patients were related to normal values. The most normal feature was found to be the nose, whose basic measurements were optimal. Because harmony between the nose and the face is a basic requirement of aesthetic balance in a healthy face, the nose in these patients is the key for calculating changes in the markedly damaged general framework of the face. Abnormal proportion indexes must be corrected by adjusting the abnormal measurement to its optimal level. Thus, the abnormally short bizygomatic width had to be increased by a mean of 13 to 21 mm. Both the nose and the face were usually normal-long, producing acceptable proportions in these patients. Some size disproportions were found between the root and the soft nose. Their adjustment should be part of the general plan to correct the face of a patient with Treacher Collins syndrome.