[The effects of otitis media with effusion and hearing loss on the speech outcome after cleft palate surgery].
OBJECTIVE
To find out the exact effect of OME and hearing loss on the speech outcome post palatoplasty in cleft palate patients.


METHODS
Otoscopy and tympanometry were performed in 18 cleft palate patients whose ages ranged from 5 to 23 years old and hearing thresholds were also tested before cleft palates repair. All patients were followed up from 3 to 18 months postoperatively. Articulation scores were evaluated and linear correlation analysis was performed between these results and their mean hearing thresholds for air conduction in speech frequencies before the palate closure. The incidences of the OME were compared among the groups with different articulation scores.


RESULTS
The postoperative articulation scores correlate negatively (r = -0.504, P = 0.032 < 0.05) to the degrees of hearing loss. But the incidences of OME had no significant differences among the groups with different articulation scores.


CONCLUSIONS
The hearing level preoperation is more important than tympanometric data on the foresight of the speech result postoperation in cleft palate patients.
Liu
L
L
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
Sun
Y
Y
Zhao
W
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013060:Speech