Evaluation of the ultrasound reproducibility as a method to measure the subcutaneous tissue of the nasal tip

Abstract

Introduction: The previous evaluation of the patient's anatomy is crucial to achieve a sharp nasal tip in a rhinoplasty. The thickness of the subcutaneous tissue is indispensable for the esthetical harmony of the area. Techniques to measure such structures on the patient 'in vivo' are not found in literature. Objective: Evaluate the inter-observer inconsistency of the ultrasound method to measure the thickness of the subcutaneous tissue of the nasal tip by way of an ultrasound. Method: 47 volunteers were submitted to a nasal tip ultrasound performed by two radiology specialists, who used the same exam technique with a linear electronic transducer at a frequency between 5 and 9 MHz. The thickness of the subcutaneous tissue was evaluated by measuring the point with the highest protrusion of the largest alar cartilage dome towards skin. Prospective study. Results: The measurement averages of the subcutaneous tissue of the nasal tip achieved by the examiners did not show statistically significant differences (p = 0.5303). When analyzing the reproducibility between examiners, an interclass 'r'correlation coefficient (Pearson) 0.9333, i.e., an excellent inter-observer reproducibility was found. Conclusion: The ultrasound proved to be reproducible and examiners satisfactorily agree about evaluating the thickness of the subcutaneous tissue of the skin, thus helping the surgeon perform the pre-surgical analysis and find the best surgical technique for each case.

Keywords

• rhinoplasty
• nasal cartilages
• ultrasound.