Human Prenatal Nasal Bone Lengths: Normal Standards and Length Values in Fetuses With Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate

[Full-text Article] [PDF Version]
[PubMed Citation] [Related Articles in PubMed]

doi: 10.1597/03-094.1
The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal: Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 165–170.

Human Prenatal Nasal Bone Lengths: Normal Standards and Length Values in Fetuses With Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate

Lene Hansen
Lene Theil Skovgaard, Cand.stat
Dorrit Nolting, B.Sc.
Birgit Fischer Hansen, M.D.
Inger KjÆr, D.D.S.

Lene Hansen is affiliated with the Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Lene T. Skovgaard is Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Dorrit Nolting is Medical Technologist, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Dr. Hansen is Chief Pathologist, Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark. Dr. Kjær is Head of Department and Professor, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Submitted July 2003; Accepted November 2003.

Objective: The aim of this study was to present prenatal autopsy standards for nasal bone length in normal fetuses, as well as to compare nasal bone lengths in human fetuses with cleft lip and palate with those standards.
Material and Methods: The material consisted of human fetuses investigated in connection with diagnosed and legally approved abortions and spontaneous abortions; 40 were normal and 26 had cleft lip and palate (7 isolated cleft lip, 12 isolated cleft palate, and 7 combined cleft lip and palate). Menstrual ages (MA) ranged from 12 to 25 weeks, crown-rump length (CRL) from 55 to 210 mm and foot length (FL) from 7 to 44 mm. All fetuses were radiographed in lateral projection, and, using these images, the nasal bone lengths were measured with a digital caliper. Regression analyses were performed.
Results: Standards for normal nasal bone length at different ages are expressed as menstrual age, crown-rump length, or foot length. Comparisons with normal standards showed that the isolated cleft lip group had a significantly smaller nasal bone length than the normal fetuses had. Fetuses with isolated cleft palate and fetuses with combined cleft lip and palate showed no significant deviation from normal standards.
Conclusion: Normal nasal bone standards can contribute to information on deviations in nasal bone length for aborted fetuses with known and unknown genotypes. The differences in nasal bone lengths in fetuses with different lip and palate clefting can contribute to understanding the pathogenesis of cleft lip and palate.

KEY WORDS: cleft lip and palate, human, nasal bone, prenatal