[Changes in valvular movements of the velopharyngeal sphincter after speech therapy in children with cleft palate. A videonasopharyngoscopic and videofluoroscopic study of multiple incidence].

Thirty-one patients with surgically repaired cleft palate who had velopharyngeal deficiency and compensatory articulatory defects in comparison to hyperrhinophony were studied. All patients were submitted to a videonasopharyngescopic and videofluoroscopic study of multiple incidence before and after speech therapy in order to correct the compensatory articulation. The movement proportions of the pharyngeal velum structures increased significantly after the correction of the compensatory articulation. Even moreso, the size of the pharyngeal velum defect decreased significantly. The results of this study support the postulate which recommends that the articulatory abnormalities associated to hyperrhinophony should be corrected before surgery for pharyngeal velum insufficiency secondary to the closure of the cleft palate.