Three-Dimensional Assessment of Airway Volumes in Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Publisher Pubmed



Kiaee B¹ ; Nucci L² ; Sarkarat F³ ; Talaeipour AR⁴ ; Eslami S⁵ ; Amiri F⁶ ; Jamilian A⁷
Source: Progress in Orthodontics Published:2021

Abstract

Background: Considering the adverse consequences of respiratory insufficiency in cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients, this study aimed to assess the pharyngeal airway dimensions in 9–12-year-old patients with unilateral CLP. This historical cohort evaluated the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 30 patients with non-syndromic unilateral CLP between 9 and 12 years and 30 age- and sex-matched non-cleft controls. Three-dimensional (3D) images were reconstructed by the Mimics software, and the nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and total airway volumes, as well as the minimal cross-sectional area of the airway (minAx), and posterior airway length (PAL) were all measured in the sagittal plane. Data were analyzed by the Student’s t test. Results: The oropharyngeal and the total airway volumes, as well as the minAx and PAL in CLP patients, were significantly smaller than the corresponding values in the control group (P < 0.05). Despite smaller nasopharyngeal airway volume in CLP patients than controls, this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Nine- to twelve-year-old non-syndromic unilateral CLP patients have smaller pharyngeal airway dimensions than non-cleft controls, and are therefore at higher risk of respiratory insufficiency. © 2021, The Author(s).