Adult-onset obstructive sleep apnea and pediatric pharyngoplasty in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate adult-onset obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and related risk factors, including history of pediatric palatal/pharyngeal surgery to remediate velopharyngeal dysfunction, in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). PATIENTS/METHODS: Using a retrospective cohort design and standard sleep study-based criteria, we determined presence of adult-onset OSA (age ≥16 years) and relevant variables through comprehensive chart review in a well-characterized cohort of 387 adults with typical 22q11.2 microdeletions (51.4% female, median age 32.3, interquartile range 25.0-42.5, years). We used multivariate logistic regression to identify independent risk factors for OSA. RESULTS: Of the 73 adults with sleep study data, 39 (53.4%) met criteria for OSA at median age 33.6 (interquartile range 24.0-40.7) years, indicating a minimum OSA prevalence of 10.1% in this 22q11.2DS cohort. History of pediatric pharyngoplasty (odds ratio 2.56, 95% confidence interval 1.15-5.70) was a significant independent predictor of adult-onset OSA, while accounting for other significant independent predictors (asthma, higher body mass index, older age), and for male sex. An estimated 65.5% of those prescribed continuous positive airway pressure therapy were reported as adherent. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to factors of known importance in the general population, delayed effects of pediatric pharyngoplasty may contribute to risk of adult-onset OSA in individuals with 22q11.2DS. The results support increased index of suspicion for OSA in adults with a 22q11.2 microdeletion. Future research with this and other homogeneous genetic models may help to improve outcomes and to better understand genetic and modifiable risk factors for OSA.

Impact of 22q deletion syndrome on speech outcomes following primary surgery for submucous cleft palate.

BACKGROUND: Patients with 22q deletion syndrome are at increased risk of submucous cleft palate and velopharyngeal insufficiency. The authors' aim is to evaluate speech outcomes following primary Furlow palatoplasty or pharyngeal flap for correction of velopharyngeal insufficiency in submucous cleft palate patients with and without 22q deletion syndrome. METHODS: Records of submucous cleft palate patients who underwent primary surgery between 2001 and 2010 were reviewed. Data included 22q deletion syndrome diagnosis, age at surgery, procedure, preoperative nasopharyngoscopy and nasometry, speech outcomes, complications, and secondary surgery rates. RESULTS: Seventy-eight submucous cleft palate patients were identified. Twenty-three patients had 22q deletion syndrome. Fewer 22q deletion syndrome patients obtained normal resonance on perceptual assessment compared with nonsyndromic patients (74 percent versus 88 percent). A similar difference existed based on postoperative nasometric scores. Among 22q deletion syndrome patients, similar success rates were achieved with Furlow palatoplasty and pharyngeal flap. No difference in the proportion improved postoperatively was noted between 22q deletion syndrome and nonsyndromic groups. One complication was experienced per group. More revision operations were indicated in the 22q deletion syndrome group (17 percent) compared with the nonsyndromic group (4 percent). Median times to normal resonance for 22q deletion syndrome and nonsyndromic patients were 150 weeks and 34 weeks, respectively. Adjusting for multiple variables, 22q deletion syndrome patients were 3.6 times less likely to develop normal resonance. CONCLUSION: Careful selection of Furlow palatoplasty or pharyngeal flap for primary repair of submucous cleft palate is highly effective in 22q deletion syndrome patients and yields results approaching those of nonsyndromic patients. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

Same noses, different nasalance scores: data from normal subjects and cleft palate speakers for three systems for nasalance analysis.

Nasalance scores from the Nasometer, the NasalView and the OroNasal System were compared. The data was collected from 50 normal participants and 19 hypernasal patients with cleft palate. The Nasometer had the lowest nasalance scores for the non-nasal Zoo Passage and that the OroNasal System had the lowest nasalance scores for the Nasal Sentences. The nasalance distance was largest for the Nasometer and smallest for the OroNasal System. When the calculation was based on nasalance magnitudes, results for sensitivity ranged from 57.9% to 81.8% and results for specificity ranged from 62.0% to 76.0%. When the calculation was based on nasalance distances, results for sensitivity ranged from 84.2% to 100.0% and results for specificity ranged from 82.0% to 100.0%. Results suggest that nasalance scores from the three systems are not interchangeable. Diagnostic efficacy improved when the calculations were based on nasalance distances rather than magnitudes, but further research is warranted to corroborate these findings.

Does velopharyngeal closure pattern affect the success of pharyngeal flap pharyngoplasty?

Historically at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, pharyngeal flap pharyngoplasty has been the treatment of choice for treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency, regardless of velopharyngeal closure pattern. The authors hypothesize that pharyngeal flap pharyngoplasty is more effective in treating velopharyngeal insufficiency in patients with circular or sagittal velopharyngeal closure and less effective in treating the coronal closure pattern. Ninety-three patients who underwent superiorly based pharyngeal flap surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency were evaluated in a retrospective chart review. Closure pattern was determined preoperatively by nasopharyngoscopy or multiview videofluoroscopy. Nasalance was assessed preoperatively and at 6 weeks and 1 year postoperatively. Nasalance during nonnasal speech was decreased on average, for all closure patterns, postoperatively. However, a significantly higher percentage of patients were corrected to normal nasalance scores in thenoncoronal group than in the coronal group (57 percent versus 35 percent, respectively) at 1 year postoperatively (p < 0.05). Surgical overcorrection, as determined by postoperative hyponasality, occurred at a rate of 13 percent in the coronal group versus 7 percent in the noncoronal group (not statistically significant). The results demonstrate that hypernasality in patients with a coronal velopharyngeal closure pattern can be improved by pharyngeal flap pharyngoplasty. This procedure, however, is more frequently effective in correcting noncoronal closure pattern velopharyngeal insufficiency than coronal pattern velopharyngeal insufficiency. The authors are now more selective in their approach to the management of velopharyngeal insufficiency and are more inclined to treat coronal pattern velopharyngeal insufficiency with sphincter pharyngoplasty.