Effects of velopharyngeal dysfunction on middle ear of repaired cleft palate patients.
OBJECTIVE
Cleft palates are strongly associated with the development of otitis media due to the anatomic and functional defect of the soft palate musculature and the associated alterations of velopharyngeal muscle insertion on tubal cartilage, or even intrinsic alterations of the cartilage, which affects eustachian tube function. This study will assess velopharyngeal muscle adequacy after palatoplasty through videonasoendoscopy and verify if there is a correlation with otologic status.


METHODS
Transversal study.


METHODS
Otorhinolaryngology and cleft palate outpatient service of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil.


METHODS
Seventy-three patients with cleft palate or cleft lip and palate between the ages of 6 and 12 years who had already undergone palatoplasty.


METHODS
Videonasoendoscopy for evaluation of velopharyngeal function and videotoscopy to assess middle ear status.


METHODS
Severity scale for videonasoendoscopic and videotoscopic findings.


RESULTS
There was no significant correlation between the videonasoendoscopic and the videotoscopic scores in the population studied.


CONCLUSIONS
Intrinsic defects of the eustachian tube cartilage and of the insertion of the velopharyngeal muscles seem to contribute to the evolution of otitis media in patients with cleft palate, in addition to the actual defect of the soft palate. There was no correlation between the severity of the otoscopic findings and the degree of velopharyngeal dysfunction.
Daniela Preto
DP
da Silva
Marcus Vinícius Martins
MV
Collares
Sady Selaimen
SS
da Costa
D001938:Brazil; D002356:Cartilage / Q000002:abnormalities; D002648:Child; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D019723:Endoscopes; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000002:abnormalities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D038781:Otoscopy; D010156:Palatal Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014741:Video Recording / Q000295:instrumentation