3D Facial Analysis in Acromegaly: Gender-Specific Features and Clinical Correlations

Abstract

Objective: Quantitative investigations of facial changes in acromegaly are rare. A new imaging technique, three-dimensional (3D) stereophotography, can accurately quantify whole facial changes. We aimed to measure facial characteristics in acromegaly patients using 3D stereophotography, analyze gender-specific features, and explore clinical influencing factors.Design: Single-center case-control study.Methods: Thirty-nine acromegaly patients and 39 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects were prospectively enrolled. 3D stereophotography was performed, and facial lines and angles were quantified for each subject. Clinical information for each acromegaly patient was acquired.Results: The nose width, length, height and depth were longer; the upper and lower lips were thicker; the face length, face width and gonion-gnathion distances were longer; and the nasofrontal and columella-labial angles were smaller in the acromegaly patients, especially in males, than in the healthy controls, with statistical significance (p < 0.05). No differences were found in the face breadth, columella-labial angle, or nose length, height or depth between the female patient and healthy control groups. The insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels in the acromegaly patients were linearly and positively correlated with the nose width (p = 0.006) and gonion-gnathion distance (p = 0.029) and linearly and negatively correlated with the nasofrontal angle (p = 0.026).Conclusions: The acromegaly patients' facial changes exhibit a unique trend, and the characteristics are not identical between genders. 3D stereophotography is an accurate and reliable tool for investigating facial characteristics. Recognizing the above facial features might be potential to assist in the early diagnosis and timely treatment of acromegaly and aid in predicting the severity of systemic complications.

Facial Phenotype Changes and Its Impact in Quality of Life of Acromegaly Patients

“…To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies performing a longitudinal evaluation of these modi cations over time. We found greater facial morphometric differences in men than in women, especially in the post-diagnosis phase, as also evidenced by different reports, which con rm that the morphometric progression is irreversible and show a sexual dimorphism [21,23,24]. Likewise, other ndings con rm that morphometric modi cations remained signi cantly altered two years after remission in cured patients [25,26], as we did in the present work.…”

Identifying Facial Features and Predicting Patients of Acromegaly Using Three-Dimensional Imaging Techniques and Machine Learning

“…In the research group's previous study, references were made from the existing literature to preliminarily select 14 basic facial parameters that can be used to characterize the facial contour, nose, and lips, before making precise measurements using 3D imaging, and analyzing their correlations with hormone levels ( 16 ). Because of the complexity and diversity of facial information, 3D imaging was further used in this study to comprehensively mine the facial information available in more subjects, and analyze their internal correlations.…”

"The impact of biochemical control on the quality of life of patients with acromegaly"

“…Whereas certain authors did not find, similar to us, any gender-related differences (12), others found a lower Qol in women (18,28). An interesting study using 3D facial analysis stereophotography showed that men are more at risk to develop dysmorphic facial features, with more pronounced nose width, length and depth, face length, width, gonion-gnathion distances and nasofrontal and columella-labial angles (29). Despite these morphological findings, Qol seems to be significantly hampered to at least the same extent in both genders, if not even more in women.…”