Morphometry of Nasal Bases and Nostrils in Koreans

Hwang, Tae Sun; Kang, Ho Suck; Cho, Byung Pil; Yang, Young Chul; Kim, Ji Won

Abstract

The nasal bases and nostrils were classified and measured in 265 Korean adults (male; 176, female; 89) to investigate morphological characteriestics of Korean. The results were as follows. 1. The height of nasal base was 21.7 +/-1.8 mm in male and 20.2 +/-1.9 mm in female; the width of it was 40.7 +/-2.4 mm in male and 37.2 +/-2.3 mm in female; the width of columella was 7.6 +/-0.8 mm in male and 7.3 +/-0.7 mm in female. There were significant differences between both sexes in each value (p<0.05). 2. In male, the height of columella was 9.5 +/-1.3 mm on both sides; and in female, it was 9.0 +/-1.4 mm on the right and 9.0 +/-1.3 mm on the left. In male, length of long nostril axis was 12.0 +/-1.4 mm on the right and 12.1 +/-1.4 mm on the left; and in female, it was 10.8 +/-1.2 mm on both sides. Length of short nostril axis was 6.6 +/-1.1 mm in male and 6.0 +/-1.0 mm in female on both sides. There were significant differences in each value between both sexes (p<0.05), but not between both sides. 3. Nasal alar angle was 87.2 +/-10.5degrees in male and 83.8 +/-9.8degrees in female; the angle between both long axes of nostril was 84.8 +/-24.5degrees in male and 76.9 +/-18.3degrees in female. There were significant differences between both sexes in each value (p<0.05). 4. Ratio of the height to the width in nasal base was 52.9 +/-5.8% in male, 53.9 +/-5.6% in female. Length ratio of long nostril axis to short one was 189.1 +/-37.7% in male, 183.6 +/-36.2% in female. There was no significant difference between both sexes in each value. 5. The shape of nostrils was classified into 7 types by the angle between both long axes of nostril. Type 1 (below 41degrees) was 0.9%, Type 2 (41 ~70degrees) was 32.1%, Type 3 (71 ~100degrees) was 48.8%, Type 5 (101 ~130degrees) was 13%, Type 6 (131 ~180degrees) was 4.7% and Type 7 (above 180degrees) was 0.5%. Type 4, which was not able to be distinguished between long and short axis, could not be found.