title: Impact of tongue reduction on overall speech intelligibility, articulation and oromyofunctional behavior in 4 children with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of partial glossectomy (using the keyhole technique) on speech intelligibility, articulation, resonance and oromyofunctional behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  A partial glossectomy was performed in 4 children with Beckwith- Wiedemann syndrome between the ages of 0.5 and 3.1 years. An ENT assessment, a phonetic inventory, a phonemic and phonological analysis and a consensus perceptual evaluation of speech intelligibility, resonance and oromyofunctional behavior were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was not possible in this study to separate the effects of the surgery from the typical developmental progress of speech sound mastery. Improved speech intelligibility, a more complete phonetic inventory, an increase in phonological skills, normal resonance and increased motor-oriented oral behavior were found in the postsurgical condition. The presence of phonetic distortions, lip incompetence and interdental tongue position were still present in the postsurgical condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Speech therapy should be focused on correct phonetic placement and a motor-oriented approach to increase lip competence, and on functional tongue exercises and tongue lifting during the production of alveolars. Detailed analyses in a larger number of subjects with and without Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome may help further illustrate the long-term impact of partial glossectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery and Logopaedics, University Hospital Gent, Gent , Belgium. Kristiane.vanlierde@ugent.be
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Lierde
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galiwango
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bettens
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luyten
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vermeersch
mesh_terms: D001184:Articulation Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D001506:Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005927:Glossectomy; D018197:Hepatoblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D007804:Language Development; D008046:Lip / Q000503:physiopathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D008260:Macroglossia / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D009123:Muscle Hypotonia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010700:Phonetics; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013070:Speech Therapy; D014059:Tongue / Q000503:physiopathology; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000188:drug therapy