Moire topography of the face: Its application in measuring soft tissue asymmetries: University of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif., 1984

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A clinically feasible system to create and record a topograph of the human face was developed and tested for accuracy and reproducibility in the detection and quantification of facial asymmetries in three dimensions. A moire grid was constructed by horizontally lacing black monofilament at 18 lines per inch. Subjects were photographed 50 inches from the grid and 24 inches above the projector light source. Using three normal test subjects in a visually oriented head position, moire topographs were made and enlarged to life-size. Two different photographic sessions, 7 days apart, showed that the landmarks internal canthi, alae of the nose, and soft tissue pogonio.,~ demonstrated good accuracy and reproducibility when measured laterally to the midline. Other landmarks such as the external canthi, soft tissue nasions, the midvermilion, tip of the nose, and the commissures of the mouth were neither accurate nor reproducible when measured laterally to the midline. Vertical measurements were accurate and reproducible only for the canthi of the eyes. Anteroposterior measurements were neither accurate nor reproducible for any of the landmarks. Application of this technique on three subjects with clinically apparent facial asymmetries was demonstrated.