Three-dimensional evaluation of nasopharyngeal airways of unilateral cleft lip and palate patients

Objectives/Hypothesis The aim of this study was to compare the volume of nasopharyngeal airways of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) with a control (noncleft) group of subjects. Study Design Retrospective case-control study. Methods The sample consisted of 45 subjects, 30 with UCLP who underwent cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) exams as part of their workups for alveolar bone graft and 15 noncleft subjects seeking orthodontic care who obtained CBCT for diagnostic purposes. The three-dimensional volumes of nasal (NV) and oropharyngeal (PV) airways of these subjects were assessed separately using Mimics software by one well-calibrated evaluator. The images were rendered, and the volumes were measured in cm3. Results The mean PV of the UCLP subjects was 6.7 cm3 and the mean NV was 10.3 cm3. The control group presented with a mean PV of 8.1 cm3 and a mean NV of 11.6 cm3. Student t test showed no statistically significant difference for PV (P = 0.10) or NV (P = 0.23) when comparing cleft and noncleft subjects. Conclusion Evaluation of the nasopharyngeal airways revealed that the NV and PV airways showed no difference between the cleft and noncleft subjects. It is interesting to postulate that the reported nasal abnormalities of the cleft patients do not produce a significant measurable effect on the overall volume, at least as shown in our study sample. In addition, the nasopharyngeal airways of patients are not larger than those of age-matched controls, at least at the ages that were sampled, after cleft palate repair. Level of Evidence 3b. Laryngoscope, 125:736–739, 2015