Speech aid prosthesis for a patient with Wegener's granulomatosis: a clinical report

A speech aid prosthesis was fabricated to correct the hypernasality of the speech of a patient. The hypernasality was caused by velopharyngeal insufficiency related to Wegener's granulomatosis. Speech aids have been used for cleft palate patients for whom surgical treatment was not indicated, surgical treatment was declined, or before surgical treatment as an evaluation for possible speech improvement. A speech aid prosthesis can be an important treatment modality when surgical correction of a velopharyngeal defect is not indicated.