Colonization of the cleft nasal floor by anaerobic oral flora in patients with oronasal fistulae.

OBJECTIVES: Aerobic oral bacteria only rarely colonize the cleft nasal floor in patients with patent oronasal fistula. There are no studies that have investigated whether anaerobic oral flora colonize this site and whether attempting to culture them is useful for assessing the patency of oronasal fistulae in the clinic. DESIGN: A prospective study of 13 patients with cleft with patent unilateral oronasal fistulae. Microbiological culture swabs were taken from the oral cavity and both nasal floors, with the unaffected side being used as a control. Following aerobic and anaerobic culture, bacterial isolates were identified and compared. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: A significant growth of anaerobic oral bacteria from the cleft nasal floor when compared with the unaffected side. RESULTS: Aerobic oral flora was cultured from the oral cavity in all 13 patients. A light growth of aerobic oral flora was found in the cleft nasal floor in two patients, and anaerobic oral flora was cultured from the cleft nasal floor in the same two patients. No statistical correlation was found between growth of anaerobic flora and the cleft nasal floor (p =.48). CONCLUSIONS: Like aerobic oral flora, anaerobic oral bacteria would appear to only rarely colonize the cleft nasal floor in patients with oronasal fistulae. This additional investigation does not appear to be helpful in the assessment of oronasal fistulae in the clinic.