Studies on Cause and Symptomatology of Congenital Velopharyngeal Incompetence

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify the histological characteristics of soft palate in patients with congenital velopharyngeal incompetence, and to investigate its relationship with nasopharyngoscopy and speech analysis. The following results were obtained.
1) The absence of the musculus levator veli palati and musculus uvulae was found to varying degrees in the medial zone of the soft palate in all cases.
2) Histological examination of the musculus levator palati was classified into three subgroups : slight defect, moderate defect and severe defect.
3) Histological examination of the musculus uvulae was assigned to three subgroups : slight absence, moderade absence and serious absence.
4) Three-dimensional reconstruction views of the palatal muscles were also divided into slight defect, moderate defect and severe defect groups.
5) Nasopharyngoscopy indicated that the velopharyngeal function was affected by the degree of the muscle defect.
6) The degree of hypernasality was almost related to abnomality of the musculus levator veli palati.
7) The morphological abnormality influences velopharyngeal incompetence.