Effects of Enlarged Adenoids on Craniofacial Growth in Bangalore Population – A Cross-Sectional Cephalometric Study

Background and Objectives: The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to determine the effects of enlarged adenoids on the growth pattern of maxilla and mandible and to evaluate the relationship between airway size and lip strain. Methods: Pre-treatment lateral cephalograms of twenty-five children (10 boys, 15 girls) were taken. The children selected for the study were in the age group of 5 – 13 years (mean age of 10 years) during the year 2008- 11. All the tracings were made on 75µm lacquered polyester acetate tracing papers using a 0.05” lead pencil. This study assessed the associations of upper lip strain and upper pharynx size with selected cephalometric measures. The data was analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science, Ver.10.0.5) package. Results: The increased upper lip strain was associated with a forwardly placed maxilla, increased mandibular plane angle and upper pharynx size was associated with decrease in mandibular size (mandibular corpus size), increase in gonial angle (Ar-Go-Gn), decrease in middle third of face (N- ANS) and increase in lower jaw anterior face height (ANS- Me). Also, the dental effect of increase in the degree of mandibular incisor proclination relative to mandibular plane was observed. Conclusion: With an increase in upper-lip strain and decreased upper pharynx size, forward maxillary placement, retrognathic mandible, downward and backward rotation of the mandible, decreased middle third of face, increase in lower anterior face height and increase in degree of mandibular incisor proclination relative to mandibular plane were observed. It was inferred from the present study that a decreased upper airway affects the craniofacial skeletal growth pattern in children.