Screening of velopharyngeal inadequacy by differential pressure measurements

Warren (1979) described an approach for screening velopharyngeal inadequacy using a device (PERCI) that measures orifice differential pressure (P). The PERCI score is based on the relationship between velopharyngeal orifice (VPO) area and velopharyngeal orifice differential pressure. The purpose of this study was to test the original assumptions, which were based on modeling experiments and a small sample size. The sample in this study included 515 subjects who demonstrated various degrees of velopharyngeal inadequacy. The pressure-flow technique was used to estimate velopharyngeal orifice size and to measure orifice differential pressure. The data demonstrate that differential pressures greater than 3.0 cm H2O generally predict adequacy of closure, whereas differential pressures less than 3.0 cm H2O usually indicate inadequacy. These findings support the use of orifice differential pressure as a simple screening of velopharyngeal function.