Photometric evaluation of adult patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate treated with nasoalveolar molding and primary columella lengthening

A short columella and a flattened nasal tip are the characteristic stigmata of patients with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP). Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the nasal shape of young adults with BCLP treated with primary surgical columella lengthening and nasoalveolar molding (NAM). Setting and Patients: A group of 28 young adult patients with BCLP (mean age: 19.1±1.4 years) was compared through normalized photogrammetry to a control of 28 age- and sex-matched noncleft young adults. Results: Nasal protrusion and length of the columella were not different from noncleft young adults. On the other hand, nasolabial angle, columellar width, interalar, and nasal tip width were significantly wider than the noncleft controls. Thus, 27% of the patients have requested at this time secondary correction of the excessive nasal width. Conclusions: Both NAM and primary rhinoplasty in patients with BCLP resulted in a near normal length of the columella and nasal projection until young adulthood. Nevertheless, width of all nasal features was significantly wider than the noncleft population and required secondary nasal correction in one-third of the sample.