[Three-dimensional morphological analysis for craniofacial deformity].

Morphological analysis of the craniofacial deformity has been performed by cephalometric radiography, but even with this method, it is difficult to analyze the cases with complicated deformity. The purpose of the present study is to develop the new 3-D CT morphological analyzing system in order to investigate complicated craniofacial deformity. Using the 67 landmarks, we established the 3 D line drawing method. Then the reproducibility of the landmarks were examined and the clinical cases were investigated. The measurement of landmarks were carried out 10 times by the same operator, and standard deviation of 67 landmarks were calculated. Some landmarks which were difficult to identify showed high value of standard deviation. However, it was almost same value between standard deviation of most of the landmarks and the CT system error. Therefore, location of landmarks in the system were found to be reproducible. This new analyzing system was performed in clinical cases with craniofacial deformity. In such cases, cranium deformity and complicated deformity such as twist-form arrangement of cranium, maxilla and mandible were detected. The 3-D CT morphological analysis is effective for analyzing severe craniofacial deformity which was impossible to recognize with conventional cephalometric analysis.