Cleft lip and palate patients prior to delayed closure of the hard palate: evaluation of maxillary morphology and the effect of early stimulation on pre-school speech

Speech and maxillary development were analysed in two groups of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate; both groups had early jaw orthopaedic treatment and a surgical regimen that included two-stage lip surgery (mean ages of 2 and 19 months) and soft palate repair (8 months). Closure of the hard palate was postponed until the children were 8 to 10 years of age. The first group comprised 10 consecutive patients who were analysed at 5 and 7 years of age, and the second group seven patients who were studied at the age of 5. Both groups were thus investigated before the repair of the cleft in the hard palate. In addition to surgical and jaw orthopaedic treatment, the second group of patients received early stimulation of lip and tongue tip movements. Our results indicated that hypernasality was less a problem than was retracted palatal or velar articulation of dental consonants. These deviations tended to be reduced, however, after early stimulation. There seemed to be no clear association between the size of the residual cleft in the hard palate and the extent of speech development. The average size of the residual cleft in our patients was comparatively small, and decreased further during follow up. We conclude that preschool children with unilateral cleft lip and palate may develop good speech, in spite of the residual cleft, if they use an intraoral plate and are given extra lip and tongue tip stimulation, together with early speech therapy if necessary.     

Speech Outcome after Cleft Palate Surgery with the G teborg Regimen Including Delayed Hard Palate Closure

The regimen for treatment of children with cleft lip and palate in Göteborg, Sweden, until 1996 included early soft palate repair at 6-8 months of age and delayed closure of the hard palate at about 8 years of age to improve maxillary growth. The aims of this report were to describe the treatment concept and to present speech data of 59 children treated by this method. The speech of 38 children with unilateral and 21 with bilateral cleft lip and palate was evaluated perceptually from standardised tape recordings of repeated sentences and spontaneous speech at five ages from 3 to 16 years of age. All patients were not evaluated at each age level. The results showed a low prevalence of hypernasality after hard palate closure and pharyngeal flap surgery in only five children (8%), indicating a primary velopharyngeal insufficiency in less than 10% of the children. Only three children with bilateral clefts had glottal articulation when at pre-school age and no child with a unilateral cleft did. These results were interpreted as an indication of velopharyngeal competence (VPC) in most of the children. In addition, the speech problem found in these children consisted of retracted oral articulation of alveo-dental pressure plosives, which is almost always an indicator of VPC. However, we do consider that retracted oral articulation is a problem and to improve our results further we have decided to modify the technique for soft palate closure slightly and place the vomer flap further anteriorly to encourage narrowing of the cleft in the hard palate, and to close the hard palate at 3 years of age.     

Maxillary dental arch and occlusion in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated with different delays in closure of the hard palate after early velar repair.

We wanted to find out if growth of the maxilla in 26 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) was adversely affected by having the residual cleft of the hard palate repaired earlier than had been done previously in a 2-stage palatal closure protocol. The ages at repair of the hard palate of the present patients ranged from 38 to 89 months. Dental casts from ages about 3 years (before any repair of the hard palate), 5, 7, and 10 years of age were analysed. The results indicated that earlier repair of the cleft in the hard palate did not influence maxillary growth differently from the later repair.     

Features of maxillary arch and nasal cavity in infancy and their influence on deciduous occlusion in unilateral cleft lip and palate

The purpose of this study was to test the statistical relationship between certain preoperative characteristics of the maxilla and nasal cavity and later occlusal development in patients born with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate. The sample consisted of 51 patients and 22 of them had undergone surgical treatment which included vomer flap and pushback palatal repair, while the remaining 29 patients were treated with a routine characterized by delayed closure of the hard palate. Twelve variables related to 4 different maxillary and nasal areas were recorded from maxillary casts and frontal cephalograms obtained in infancy. Crossbite scores and maxillary intercanine width were determined from dental casts taken at 3 years of age. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the preoperative variables selected as predictors of maxillary development at the age of 3 did not explain more than half of the variation found in our subjects. Also, the predictors were not the same in the two surgical subgroups. To improve our ability to predict, further variables should be tested and, if possible, added to the regression formulae.     

Craniofacial and occlusal characteristics in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients from four Scandinavian centres.

Craniofacial morphology and dental occlusion were studied at early school age in 15 consecutive patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate from each of four Scandinavian cleft centres. Treatment differed mainly in the techniques of palatal repair. Push-back closure of the palate particularly impaired maxillary development, which resulted in an increased incidence of crossbite and reduced intercanine distance when compared with patients who had been operated on by the von Langenbeck method or in whom the anterior palate had not yet been closed.     

Comparisons of facial growth in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated by different regimens for two-stage palatal repair.

The aim of this study was to compare facial development, particularly growth of the maxilla, of two groups of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate in whom palatal surgery had been done slightly differently, particularly the timing of the procedures. Two-stage palatal repair had been used at 8 (velar closure) and 102 months (hard palate surgery) at one cleft centre and at 20 and 62 months at another centre. Lateral roentgencephalograms were used to analyse the first sample of 20 patients, who were followed longitudinally from 7-16 years of age. The other group comprised 17 subjects in the same age range, who were investigated cross-sectionally, also by cephalometry. Generally, the outcome of the two surgical regimens was similar and equally satisfactory, with no evident difference in facial or maxillary morphology between the two samples. From the midfacial growth point of view, it might be questioned whether it is necessary to delay closure of the cleft in the hard palate until the mixed dentition stage as was done at the first cleft centre.     

Height of the palatal vault after two different surgical procedures: Study of the difference in patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate

Abstract The present study compared the height of the palatal vault in dental casts from 320 10-year-old children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) operated on with the push-back technique according to Wardill-Kilner (W-K) with patients operated on with delayed hard palate closure (DHPC). The palatal height in patients operated on with the DHPC technique was found to be significantly higher than in patients operated on with the W-K technique. This coincides with better maxillary growth and better speech in the DHPC group.     

Nasal airflow and olfactory function after the repair of cleft palate (with and without cleft lip).

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine nasal airflow and olfactory functions in patients with repaired cleft palate compared with matching normal controls. STUDY DESIGN: The all-cleft group consisted of 25 patients with hard palate cleft comprising 15 patients with unilateral cleft palate and lip (UCLP); 2 with CP but no cleft lip (UCLP subgroup) and 8 patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP subgroup). All had had surgical correction of the palate in infancy. The control group consisted of 20 nonaffected orthodontic patients. The median age of both groups was 14 years. The tests included the following: (1) nasal airflow measured by anterior rhinomanometry, (2) smell threshold for isoamyl-acetate determined using a 3-way forced choice method, (3) a self-administered questionnaire regarding the subjective perception of smell sense function, and (4) orthonasal and retronasal smell identification (correct/incorrect) and hedonics using visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: The respective test results follow. (1) When compared with the control group, the total airflow in the UCLP subgroup was significantly lower especially on the affected side; while in the BCLP subgroup it was lower than in the control group bilaterally. No significant difference was found between the cleft side of UCLP and BCLP subgroups. (2) The smell threshold of the UCLP subgroup was significantly higher than that of the control group and BCLP subgroup. No significant differences were found between right and left nostrils within the BCLP patients and between them and the control group. (3) No difference was found between the groups regarding the subjective perception of smell. (4) No significant differences were found between the UCLP and BCLP subgroups and between the all-cleft group and the control group, except for one item, regarding orthonasal and retronasal smell identification and hedonics. CONCLUSION: Although nasal airflow is significantly lower and the smell threshold higher on the cleft side, the day-to-day function of the sense of smell of cleft patients is similar to that of normal controls.     

Height of the palatal vault after two different surgical procedures: Study of the difference in patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate

Abstract

The present study compared the height of the palatal vault in dental casts from 320 10-year-old children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) operated on with the push-back technique according to Wardill-Kilner (W-K) with patients operated on with delayed hard palate closure (DHPC). The palatal height in patients operated on with the DHPC technique was found to be significantly higher than in patients operated on with the W-K technique. This coincides with better maxillary growth and better speech in the DHPC group.     

Speech development in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated with different delays in closure of the hard palate after early velar repair: a longitudinal perspective.

We wanted to find out if different timing of delayed repair of the hard palate in a two-stage procedure had an impact on the speech of 26 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). The soft palate was closed at the age of 7 months and the hard palate between 38 and 89 months of age. Speech audio recordings at the age of 3 years (baseline, before any repair of the hard palate) and at the ages of 5, 7, and 10 years (the latter obtained at least one year after closure) were analysed. We used standardised speech assessments at routine follow-up and assessment by one external listener. The prevalence of speech errors caused by the cleft was similar to those described in previous reports from our centre in which hard palate repair was delayed. Unexpectedly, the results showed no difference in speech production related to timing of hard palate repair, except for nasal air leakage at the age of 7 years.     

Failure to thrive in babies with cleft lip and palate.

We established the frequency of failure to thrive (FTT) in children undergoing primary cleft procedures by using growth charts and standard-deviation scores. Initially, 147 babies with cleft lip and/or palate undergoing 186 primary lip-and-palate repairs were studied between 1993 and 1996. Rates of FTT were categorised according to cleft type. There was an increasing rate of FTT from 32% for unilateral cleft lip and palate to 38% for bilateral cleft lip and palate to 49% for cleft palate. There was a high incidence of FTT in palatal clefts, especially if these were associated with a syndrome or anomaly (P= 0.001). The incidence of FTT with the Pierre Robin sequence was 100%. In view of the high rates of FTT, two changes were instituted: a feeding-support nurse was appointed to supervise and monitor patients at risk and all patients with the Pierre Robin sequence had supervised airway management. Thereafter, the incidence of FTT was prospectively studied in 68 babies undergoing 84 primary procedures between 1997 and 1999. There was a decrease in the incidence of FTT in comparison with the earlier cohort (9% for unilateral cleft lip and palate, 20% for bilateral cleft lip and palate, 26% for cleft palate). There was a significant decrease in the incidence of FTT in the group with the Pierre Robin sequence, from 100% to 40%. As a result of the provision of a feeding-support nurse and airway management of patients with the Pierre Robin sequence, the incidence of FTT was reduced and the audit loop closed.     

Influence of cleft palate closure by osteotomy technique on growth of the dentomaxillary complex in human beings

Properly done, osteotomy cleft palate closure in human beings reproduces a normal dentomaxillary complex in patients with an incomplete cleft palate and in those with a narrow unilateral complete lip and palate cleft. In wider complete clefts, the dentomaxillary complex is influenced by the constrictive action of the lip muscle during closure rather than by the osteotomy procedure. Plaster casts of osteotomy surgical cases late postoperatively demonstrate the normal growth pattern achieved. Variations in cleft palate osteotomy have been worked out for every type of cleft palate.     

Left or right hand dominance in children with cleft lip and palate.

The relationship between unilateral cleft lip, bilateral cleft lip, palatal clefting and left-right hand dominance was studied in 337 patients with cleft lip and/or palate aged between 3 and 14 years. There was no statistically significant difference in the laterality of handedness between different types of cleft nor between unilateral left and right sided cleft lip with or without cleft palate.     

Repair of cleft palate by double reverse Z-plasty of the soft palate

Since July 1987 till January 1989, The double reverse Z-plasty of the soft palate has been used in 12 patients. Seven patients had complete unilateral cleft palates, one had incomplete cleft, two had soft cleft palates and two had complete bilateral cleft palates. Male 7, female 5. The eldest was 25 years of age, the youngest was 3 years. The technique differs from the usual method in two ways. Firstly, the soft palate is closed with two reverse Z-plasties. The transposition of two flaps can be lengthened along central limb without using the tissue from the hard palate. Secondly, in order to eliminate the horseshoe limp scar around the inner aspect of the alveolus for improving the growth potential of the maxilla, the hard palate is closed without lateral relaxing incisions.     

Malocclusion in complete unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate. The results of a change in the surgical procedure

In 1972 the surgical interference with the cleft in the hard palate was changed to a one-layer closure by a vomer flap. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the effect of this change in the surgical management on the width of the maxillary dental arch and the frequency of malocclusion. Two groups of CLP children were examined: group 1 consisted of 58 children operated on before and in 1972. Group 2 consisted of 72 children operated on after 1972. All of the children had been operated on by the same surgeon. The remainder of the surgical procedures was the same in the two groups. No significant differences were observed, either in the maxillary dental arch width or in the frequency of malocclusion. A minor decrease in the frequency of mandibular overjet and crossbite was seen in the vomer group. Less need for closure of fistulas in the anterior part of the hard palate was seen in group 2.     

The clinical observation of difficult laryngoscopy and difficult intubation in infants with cleft lip and palate

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidence of difficult laryngoscopy in infants with cleft lip and palate and to observe its relationships with age, sites, and degrees of deformities. METHODS: A total of 985 infants aged 1 month to 3 years, undergoing repair of cleft lip and palate were included in this study. The infants suffering from unilateral cleft lip, simple cleft palate, and combined bilateral cleft lip and palate were 465, 421, and 79 respectively. They were divided into three groups according to age; 1-6 months group, 6-12 months group and 1-3 years group. RESULTS: The total incidence of difficult laryngoscopy was 4.77%. The incidence of difficult laryngoscopy was closely related to age, sites and degrees of deformities, and micrognathia. The incidence of difficult laryngoscopy was 7.06% in 1-6 months group, 2.90% in 6-12 months group, and 3.13% in 1-3 years group, and was greatest for infants with combined bilateral cleft lip and palate, less for those with left cleft lip and least for those with right cleft lip and simple cleft palate. The incidences of difficult laryngoscopy in infants with and without micrognathia were 50% and 3.83% respectively. The incidences of moderately difficult, difficult, and failed intubations were 1.02%, 0.91%, and 0.102% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Infants with cleft lip and palate, left cleft lip and alveolus, combined bilateral cleft lip and palate, micrognathia, and age <6 months were the important risk factors for difficult laryngoscopy. Difficult intubation occurred mainly in infants with laryngoscopic views of grade III and IV.     

应用单侧岛状颊肌黏膜瓣和双反向双Z成形术修复宽大腭裂

目的应用单侧岛状颊肌黏膜瓣加双反向双Z成形术修复较宽大的腭裂,延长软腭,不做牙槽弓内侧松弛切口,腭部无骨性创面裸露和瘢痕形成,以减少或避免对上颌骨和牙槽弓生长发育的影响。方法应用改良的双反向双Z成形术延长软腭,裂缘蒂的口腔侧黏骨膜瓣翻转关闭鼻腔侧的裂隙,一侧岛状颊肌黏膜瓣修复腭部口腔侧创面,牙槽弓内侧不做松弛切口。结果应用该法共治疗36例,2例出现了腭瘘,其余伤口愈合良好,软腭延长显著,无组织瓣坏死、伤口感染、张口困难、面神经损伤等并发症发生。随访8例患者,均获得完善的腭咽闭合功能。结论一侧岛状颊肌黏膜瓣与双反向双Z成形术联合应用修复较宽大的腭裂,既延长了软腭,又避免了腭部骨性创面裸露、瘢痕形成而影响上颌骨和牙槽弓生长发育,是一项安全可靠的手术。     

Primary,Early Bone Grafting in Complete Clefts of the Lip and Palate: A Follow-up Study of 53 Cases

Fifty-three patients with complete unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate between the ages of 5 1/2 and 13 1/2 years have been followed up. Following preoperative jaw orthopedic treatment, when indicated, these cases were operated with lip closure and bone grafting with four mucoperiosteal flaps as described by Nordin (1960) and Bäckdahl & Nordin (1961). In the 14 bilateral cases this operation was done in two stages, one side at a time, in this series. At the follow-up, facial appearance, hearing, speech assessment, some facial angles and incidence of crossbites were examined. In the 39 unilateral cleft cases, 80% had an acceptable appearance while 20% needed secondary surgery of the lip and nose as rated independently by four doctors. In the 14 bilateral cases 50% needed secondary operation of the lip and nose. Speech assessment in the bone-grafted group was good or superior to that in a non-bone-grafted group of patients with clefts of the primary and the secondary palate. Open nasality and consonant articulations were also taken into consideration. No permanent hearing impairment was noted in these patients although they are prone to chronic ear diseases. No serious maldevelopment of the facial skeleton was noted in our study following primary, early bone grafting. The incidence of crossbite was comparatively low. This type of treatment is continuing at our centre since the results are promising. Comparison of similar studies from other centres with long-term follow-ups are called for.     

22q11 Deletion in children with cleft lip and palate--is routine screening justified?

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the prevalence of 22q11 deletion in children with a diagnosis of cleft lip and/or palate that had been referred to the Cleft Lip & Palate Service, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of results of 22q11 FISH testing performed in all such referrals. PARTICIPANTS: 191 children, of whom 13 had a bilateral cleft lip and palate, two had a median cleft, 77 had a cleft palate only, 44 had a unilateral cleft lip, 47 had a unilateral cleft lip and palate and eight had a submucous cleft palate. RESULTS: nine patients had a positive 22q11 FISH test. CONCLUSION: This represents a higher percentage than has been previously reported. All children with cleft lip and/or palate should routinely have a 22q11 FISH test in view of the implications of a diagnosis of velocardiofacial syndrome.