Nasal septal deformity in unilateral cleft lip and palate

The present study is part of a larger rhinomanometric investigation to determine the type and extent of nasal septal deformity in subjects with repaired unilateral complete clefts of the lip and palate (UCLP). The cleft sample consisted of 21 subjects (mean age 16.4 years). A control group consisted of 30 subjects (mean age 13.1 years). The rhinomanometric measurements in this study have been previously reported (Sandham and Solow, 1987) and showed that bilateral nasal resistance did not differ significantly between the cleft sample and the controls. Unilateral measurements of nasal resistance showed higher valves for the cleft side than the noncleft side (p < .001). Nasal septal deformity was scored for anomaly type and severity, by direct visual observation of each nasal compartment. The results showed that nasal septal deviation occurs more frequently in subjects with cleft lip and palate than controls (p < .001). The cartilaginous nasal tip, like the maxillary nasal spine, deviated to the noncleft side because of its dependency for directional control on the maxillary crest, and it projected into the nasal aperture of the noncleft side. The most frequent deviation of the bony septum was to the cleft side, and this not only involved the valve area but also a broader area opposite the turbinates.