title: Morphology of the auditory tube and palatal muscles in a case of bilateral cleft palate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is an increased incidence of otitis media in children with cleft palate, which may be related to the pathology of the auditory tube and palatal muscles. In the present study, the head of a human on term born fetus with bilateral palatal cleft was serially sectioned and the anatomy of the auditory tube and palatal muscles were studied by computer-aided three-dimensional reconstruction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed a nearly horizontal course of the auditory tube. The tensor veli palatini muscle had a bony attachment on either side. The levator veli palatini muscle also showed an abnormal course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This abnormal course may result in obstruction of the auditory tube during contraction. These pathological findings may explain the higher frequency of otitis media in children with cleft palate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany. wolfa@uni-wh.de
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nohadani
authors.forename: K H H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Koch
mesh_terms: D019412:Anatomy, Cross-Sectional; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications*; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000209:etiology*; D010156:Palatal Muscles / Q000002:abnormalities*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed