Diagnosis of palatal defects by trispiral tomography: a pilot study.
A pilot study is presented in which 12 selected patients, ages 3-11 years, were evaluated for a palatal defect utilizing trispiral tomography. Each patient, because of speech and hearing abnormalities, was evaluated by a speech pathologist and an otolaryngolgist and voice recordings, audiometry, tympanometry and plain and cine radiographic X-rays were obtained. Those children with speech and hearing abnormalities in whom the question of a palatal defect was raised underwent trispiral palatal tomography. Nine of the 12 patients selected for tomography demonstrated a palatal defect that was not detected by other means. Trispiral tomography appears to be a useful tool in the diagnosis of suspected palatal defects in selected patients.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010159:Palate / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014056:Tomography, X-Ray