[Assessment of velopharyngeal function in normal speech by CT].
OBJECTIVE
To find an objective method to assess velopharyngeal function by CT.


METHODS
Three dimensional conformation of the velopharyngeal orifice of 30 subjects with normal speech at rest and /i:/ position were observed and analyzed. The linear distance and area of velopharyngeal orifice were measured and analyzed statistically.


RESULTS
The average minimal area of velopharyngeal orifice at/i:/ position was 11.92+/-11.73 mm(2). The physical RVPI was 4.03+/-4.03%. Coronary closure was the most common type of velopharyngeal contraction which accounted for 50%, semi-ring type being 30%, and ring type being 20%. No sagittal closure were seen in this study. There were 70% subjects whose position of velopharyngeal closure was at the level of the first cervical vertebra, 26.7% above the level and 3.3% below it. The arrange of velopharyngeal closure was 9-12 mm in 83.4% subjects, and 3-6mm in 16.6%.


CONCLUSIONS
As a method of assessing velopharyngeal function, CT can not only observe the conformation of velopharyngeal orifice in three dimensions, but also quantitatively analyze the velopharyngeal function.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200011, China.
Y S
YS
Yang
W L
WL
Qiu
W H
WH
Yuan
Y S
YS
Tang