A ROENTGENOCEPHALOMETRIC STUDY OF THE PHARYNX AND CRANIOFACIAL SKELETON IN KOREAN

인두와 두개안면골격에 관한 방사선학적 연구

The aim of this study was to investigate the variation in shape, size and area of the pharynx and adenoids, and to analyze the relationship between pharyngeal cavity and upper facial cranium which effected on morphology of those parts in Korean. Age changes and sex differences in those areas were comprised in this study. Materials included 272 lateral cephalograms, which were divided into 4 groups by age; (1) 7-year-old group consisted of 29 males and 30 females, (2) 12-year-old group consisted of 30 males and 30 females, (3) 17-year-old group consisted of 30 males and 40 females, (4) 20-year-old group consisted of 37 males and 46 females. In subjects each variable was measured and evaluated statistically introducing 17 reference points and 17 reference lines respectively. Conclusions from this study were as follows. 1. Linear measurements of the bony nasopharynx revealed that the depth and height were larger in male than those in female in 17 and 20-year-old groups. 2. Linear measurements of the upper facial cranium were larger in male than those in female in all age groups. 3. Angular measurements of the bony nasopharynx and upper facial cranium did not show, on an average, sex differences in each age group. 4. As regards area of the bony nasopharynx, it increased gradually with age in both sexes. And the area was greater in male than that in female in 17 and 20-year old groups. 5. There were sex differences in area of the adenoids of which the area was larger in male than that in female in 17 and 20-year-old groups. And the area reached a peak at 17-year-old group in male and at 12 year-old group in female. 6. Area of the pharyngeal cavity increased gradually with age in both sexes, but no sex differences were noted in each age group. 7. Rate of area of the adenoids to that of the pharyngeal cavity decreased continually with age, and no sex differences were noted in all age groups. 8. In amounts and its differences of the growth, there were sex differences in the posterior upper facial height, and were not in area of the bony nasopharynx, pharyngeal cavity and adenoids in each age group.