Korean J Oral Maxillofac Radiol.  2004 Mar;34(1):31-34.

Evaluation of masticatory muscles of mandibular asymmetry patients by computed tomography

• Choi SC
• Lee SB
• Lee JK
• Yi WJ
• Heo MS
• Lee SS

Abstract

PURPOSE
To compare the size of the masseter and lateral pterygoid muscle between the affected and the unaffected side of the patients who have the chief complaints of the mandibular asymmetry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty two patients (male: 4, female: 18, average age: 21.3 year-old) were radiographed using posterior-anterior (P-A) cephalography and computed tomography (CT). On P-A cephalography, the degree of deviation was determined by the distance from the mentum to the vertical reference line through the crista galli and the anterior nasal spine. On the scanned tracing papers of the maximum cross-sectional area of the masseter and lateral pterygoid muscle using axial CT images, the pixel number was measured. The ratio of the affected : unaffected sides were obtained. For the masseter and lateral pterygoid muscle, the relationship between the muscular volume and degree of skeletal hypoplasia was studied. RESULTS: The half cases showed no skeletal asymmetry. The lateral pterygoid muscle of the affected side was larger significantly than unaffected side (p.0.05). However, there was no significant difference between two sides in the cases of skeletal asymmetry. There was only significant difference in the cases without skeletal asymmetry (p.0.05). CONCLUSIONS: To some extent, the slight mandibular hypoplasia could affect the growth of some masticatory muscles.

Keyword

Facial Asymmetry; Masticatory Muscles; Tomography; X-ray Computed

MeSH Terms

Chin
Facial Asymmetry
Female
Humans
Masticatory Muscles*
Pterygoid Muscles
Spine