Can cephalometric indices and subjective evaluation be consistent for facial asymmetry?
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the subjective evaluation of facial asymmetry and seven cephalometric indices. Ten orthodontists subjectively evaluated the frontal photographs of 100 subjects and categorized them into three categories, ie, category I–symmetrical view; category II–a little asymmetry not requiring treatment; and category III–marked asymmetry requiring treatment. Seven indices that were used to evaluate facial asymmetry were determined using frontal cephalographs of these patients. Interobserver agreement was assessed using Cohen’s kappa statistic. Agreement among the observers for category III was higher than for categories I and II. To define the characteristics of each category, the cephalometric indices, which at least eight observers agreed on, were compared between the categories. No differences were found in any of the indices between categories I and II. Five indices showed differences between category III and the other cat
