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Published on: September 8, 2023
Assessment of the Airway Characteristics in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate using Cone Beam Computed Tomography
Anirudh Agarwal1, Nikhil Marwah2
1Professor and Head, Department of Orthodontics, Jaipur Dental College, Jaipur Rajasthan, India.
Insights
Children with repaired cleft lip and palate (CLP) show narrower nasopharyngeal airways compared to controls. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) revealed reduced airway dimensions, potentially impacting breathing function.
Area of Science:
- Craniofacial imaging
- Pediatric dentistry
- Otorhinolaryngology
Background:
- Cleft lip and palate (CLP) can affect craniofacial development, including the nasopharyngeal airway.
- Understanding nasopharyngeal airway dimensions is crucial for assessing potential breathing impairments in children with CLP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess nasopharyngeal soft-tissue dimensional changes in Indian children with repaired CLP using CBCT.
- To compare these airway characteristics with those of children having ideal occlusion.
Main Methods:
- Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were obtained from 20 children with repaired CLP.
- Linear measurements and sagittal cross-sectional areas of the nasopharyngeal airway were analyzed.
- Statistical analyses included independent t-tests and Pearson correlation.
Main Results:
- Children with repaired CLP exhibited significantly reduced lower aerial width, lower adenoidal width, and lower airway width.
- Upper airway width was also significantly diminished in the CLP group.
- The retropalatal and total airway areas were larger in the control group.
Conclusions:
- Repaired CLP is associated with a narrower pharyngeal airway.
- This narrowing may lead to functional breathing impairments.
- Further research is needed to correlate pharyngeal structure with airway function in CLP patients.
Objective:
The aim of our study is to use cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to assess the dimensional changes in the nasopharyngeal soft-tissue characteristics in children of Indian origin with repaired cleft lip and palate (CLP) and to compare the results with patients with ideal occlusion.
Materials And Methods:
A sample of 20 children (10 girls, 10 boys) with repaired CLP was selected. Cone beam computed tomography scans were taken to measure the nasopharyngeal airway changes in terms of linear measurements and sagittal cross-sectional areas. Error analysis was performed to prevent systematic or random errors. Independent means t-tests and Pearson correlation analysis were used to evaluate sex differences and the correlations among the variables.
Results:
Nasopharyngeal soft-tissue characteristics were different in the control and the study groups. Subjects with repaired CLP had lesser lower aerial width, lower adenoidal width and lower airway width. The upper airway width was also significantly lesser. The retropalatal and the total airway area were significantly greater in the control group.
Conclusion:
The narrow pharyngeal airway in patients with CLP might result in functional impairment of breathing in patients. Further investigations are necessary to clarify the relationship between pharyngeal structure and airway function in patients with CLP. How to cite this article: Agarwal A, Marwah N. Assessment of the Airway Characteristics in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate using Cone Beam Computed Tomography. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2016;9(1):5-9.
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