Evaluation of nasal patency by acoustic rhinometry after repair of complete unilateral cleft lip and palate

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to evaluate nasal patency by acoustic rhinometry in children aged 4–8 years with repaired complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) compared with an age-matched control group without cleft lip and palate (CLP). Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital and a private ENT clinic in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. The case group consisted of 38 children who had undergone surgery for complete UCLP (mean age, 6.44 years), and the control group of 21 children without CLP (mean age, 6.21 years) recruited among patients seeking medical care for ear diseases at the private clinic. Acoustic rhinometry was performed in all children after administration of oxymetazoline hydrochloride (2 × 0.25 mg/mL) for nasal vasoconstriction. Results: The minimal cross-sectional area and nasal volume of the cleft side were smaller than those of the non-cleft side in the case group (p = 0.001). When the two groups were compared, the non-cleft side in the case group did not differ from the control group (p = 0.175), but the minimal cross-sectional area and volume of the cleft nasal cavity were smaller than the mean values of the two nostrils of controls (p = 0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings show that nasal patency on the cleft side is impaired in children surgically treated for complete UCLP.