Sex differences in adult craniofacial parameters

PURPOSE: To compare normal male and female craniofacial parameters in adults and evaluate associations of sex and intercochlear distance with other craniofacial parameters. METHODS: In 60 normal adults (30 men and 30 women) who had no otitis media, craniofacial parameters were measured retrospectively on two-dimensional reformatted computed tomography scans. RESULTS: Compared with women, men had significantly greater mean osseous auditory tube length, cartilaginous auditory tube length, mastoid length, intercochlear distance, sella to posterior nasal spine distance, sella to basion distance, and nasopharynx sagittal area. The intercochlear distance was significantly correlated with mastoid depth, midpoint of the pharyngeal opening distance, sella to nasion distance, and nasopharynx sagittal area and inversely with angle of the auditory tube. Most men and women had Körner septum present, and mean thickness of Körner septum was significantly greater in men than women. CONCLUSIONS: Some craniofacial parameters, especially vertical parameters, differ with sex. These differences begin in childhood and continue in adulthood. Sex must be considered when planning a craniofacial morphologic study, and results of a craniofacial morphologic study should be evaluated with caution when there is no sex matching of the patient and control groups.