Zhukhovitskaya A, et al. - Given the significance of nasal base view for rhinoplasty analysis, researchers appraised a parametric model of nasal base shape and compared it with categorization by surgeons to build an objective classification system for clinical evaluation and communication. They performed a retrospective cohort review of deidentified photographs of 420 patients who were evaluated for possible facial plastic surgery. The nasal bases were classified into 6 shape categories (equilateral, boxy, cloverleaf, flat, round, and narrow) via visual inspection. Using MATLAB software (MathWorks Inc), the contour of each nasal base was traced and then a curve fit was performed to the parametric model with output of values for 5 parameters: projection-to-width ratio, the anterior-posterior positioning of the tip bulk, symmetry, degree of lateral recurvature of the nasal base, and size. The classification was readily done in 305 photographs, and the remaining 115 were termed unclassified and were categorized. The classified and unclassified nasal base groups showed statistically significant differences in terms of projection-to-width ratio, the anterior-posterior positioning of the tip bulk, and degree of lateral recurvature of the nasal base. Adequate concordance was observed between shape-defining numeric data from the model and the predictions of facial plastic surgeons. Findings support the possibility of the derivation of numerical description of the nasal base and its utility in the objective preoperative and postoperative assessment of nasal appearance and in clinical communication.