Hindawi Publishing Corporation
BioMed Research International
Volume 2013, Article ID 821428, 5 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/821428
Research Article
Normative Findings for Periocular Anthropometric
Measurements among Chinese Young Adults in Hong Kong
Yasas S. N. Jayaratne,
1
Curtis K. Deutsch,
2,3
and Roger A. Zwahlen
1
1
Discipline of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, e University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Waltham, MA 02452, USA
3
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Correspondence should be addressed to Roger A. Zwahlen; zwahlen@hku.hk
Received 19 April 2013; Revised 24 June 2013; Accepted 2 July 2013
Academic Editor: Michael P. Fautsch
Copyright © 2013 Yasas S. N. Jayaratne et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
Measurement of periocular structures is of value in several clinical specialties including ophthalmology, optometry, medical and
clinical genetics, oculoplastic surgery, and traumatology. erefore we aimed to determine the periocular anthropometric norms
for Chinese young adults using a noninvasive 3D stereophotography system. Craniofacial images using the 3dMDface system were
acquired for 103 Chinese subjects (51 males and 52 females) between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Anthropometric landmarks were
identified on these digital images according to standard definitions, and linear distances between these landmarks were calculated.
It was found that ocular measurements were significantly larger in Chinese males than females for intercanthal width, biocular
width, and eye fissure lengths. No gender differences were found in the eye fissure height and the canthal index which ranged
between 43 and 44. Both right and leſt eye fissure height-length ratios were significantly larger in females. is is the first study
to employ 3D stereophotogrammetry to create a database of anthropometric normative data for periocular measurements. ese
data would be useful for clinical interpretation of periocular pathology and serve as reference values when planning aesthetic and
posttraumatic surgical interventions.
1. Introduction
Measurement of periocular structures is of value in sev-
eral clinical specialties including ophthalmology, optome-
try, medical and clinical genetics, oculoplastic surgery, and
traumatology. e Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man
(OMIM) database reveals almost 600 entries in which hyper-
telorism or telecanthus is a phenotypic feature [1]. Periocular
dysmorphology is a cardinal feature for many genetic and
teratogenic syndromes. For example, a shortened palpebral
fissure width (i.e., between inner and outer canthi) is typically
associated with fetal alcohol embryopathy/syndrome [2].
Periocular abnormalities can also arise through trauma, for
example, traumatic telecanthus, which is oſten observed in
nasoorbitoethmoid complex fractures.
It is important to note that several interacting features
such as epicanthic folds, flat nasal bridges, widely spaced
eyebrows, or narrow palpebral fissures can give rise to the
visual impression of hypertelorism [3, 4]. us accurate
clinical measurements are needed for objective evaluation of
periocular diseases as well as planning reconstructive surgery.
Traditionally anthropometric measurements in the peri-
ocular region have been performed using sliding calipers.
However, measurements with such sharp instruments near
the eye may pose some risk, especially when performing
examination on very young or otherwise uncooperative
patients. With the advent of commercial, high-resolution 3D
stereophotogrammetry over the last decade, it has become
possible to readily acquire craniofacial 3D photographs safely
and expeditiously, and from these images it has been possible
to obtain accurate and reliable measurements [5, 6]. ese
digital measurements are well suited to assessment of the
periocular region.
China has the world’s largest population and residents
with Chinese ancestry can be found in many countries.