Nasal airway in cleft-palate patients: acoustic rhinometric data

The objective of this study was to investigate an instrumental assessment technique for acquiring reproducible, metric data on the nasal airway in cleft-palate associated nasal dysplasia. A consecutive sample of 23 unilateral, 17 bilateral CLP patients and 15 controls with subjective normal nasal patency from a cleft-palate rehabilitation centre were studied. A series of transnasal acoustic measurements (pressure wave: 55 dB for 2 ms) of nasal volume were performed before and after topical decongestion with 2 x 0.3 mg of xylometazoline. A standardized regimen of acoustic parameters of the nasal valve and the adjacent segment of the nasal cavity were calculated. The cleft side yielded a significantly (40%) lower nasal volume than the non-cleft side. Considerably lower values were recorded for the isthmus of the cleft side (0.31 cm2) compared with the non-cleft side (0.52 cm2). Decongestion capacity was higher in the posterior segment, indicating cleft-side massive mucosal hypertrophy. In bilateral CLP, the isthmus measured 0.46 cm2. By decongestion, individual side differences were reduced in unilateral CLP patients but enhanced in bilateral clefts. The prevailing pattern of the cleft-side airway profile can be described as a 'descending W'. Acoustic rhinometry is a non-invasive, instrumental assessment technique for acquiring reproducible metric data of nasal dysplasia in cleft-palate patients. By identification of the location and amount of nasal obstruction, it provides topographic information about the individual airway profile. It is suitable for the longitudinal investigation of nasal-airway development, as well as the preparation and follow-up of corrective rhinosurgery.