Two-stage palatal repair in non-syndromic CLP patients using anterior to posterior closure is associated with minimal need for secondary palatal surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to assess the need for secondary palatal corrective surgery in a concept of palate repair that uses a protocol of anterior to posterior closure of primary palate, hard palate and soft palate. METHODS: A data base of patients primarily operated between 2001 and 2021 at the Craniofacial and Cleft Care Center of the University Goettingen was evaluated. Cleft lips had been repaired using Tennison Randall and Veau-Cronin procedures in conjunction with alveolar cleft repair. Cleft palate repair in CLP patients was accomplished in two steps with repair of primary palate and hard palate first using vomer flaps at the age of 10-12 months and subsequent soft palate closure using Veau/two-flap procedures 3 months later. Isolated cleft palate repair was performed in a one-stage operation using Veau/two-flap procedures. Data on age, sex, type of cleft, date and type of surgery, occurrence and location of oronasal fistulae, date and type of secondary surgery performed for correction of oronasal fistula (ONF)and / or Velophyaryngeal Insufficiency (VPI) were extracted. The rate of skeletal corrective surgery was registered as a proxy for surgery induced facial growth disturbance. RESULTS: In the 195 patients with non-syndromic complete CLP evaluated, a total number of 446 operations had been performed for repair of alveolar cleft and cleft palate repair (Veau I through IV). In 1 patient (0,5%), an ONF occurred requiring secondary repair. Moreover, secondary surgery for correction of VPI was required in 1 patient (0,5%) resulting in an overall rate of 1% of secondary palatal surgery. Skeletal corrective surgery was indicated in 6 patients (19,3%) with complete CLP in the age group of 15 - 22 years (n = 31). CONCLUSIONS: The presented data have shown that two-step sequential cleft palate closure of primary palate and hard palate first followed by soft palate closure has been associated with minimal rate of secondary corrective surgery for ONF and VPI at a relatively low need for surgical skeletal correction.

Tongue Flap for Closure of Complex Oronasal Fistula.

Complex oronasal fistula is one of the most frequent secondary complications of cleft palate correction and is considered a reconstructive challenge. Tongue flaps are one of the procedures for the treatment of complex fistulas associated or not with multiple previous procedures, offering a high success rate, few complications, and problems during its development. This study evaluates the efficacy in terms of functionality, esthetic, donor area morbidity and clarifies surgical technique steps. Descriptive cohort study was performed between August 2011 to August 2021 where an anteriorly based dorsal tongue flap was performed in 30 patients with complex palatal fistulas, evaluating outcomes in terms of technique reproducibility and flap viability, correction of oronasal regurgitation, speech, donor site morbidity, complications, and esthetics. The senior author has used this technique with consistent clinical outcomes to improve complex oronasal fistula with minimal complications, with a good success rate in terms of correction of the palatal defect with imperceptible alteration of the lingual donor area. In addition, establishes a specific definition of persistence and recurrence of oronasal fistula. The tongue flap is considered the gold standard in complex oronasal fistula reconstructions with satisfactory outcomes, and it offers an adequate amount of vascularized tissue achieving fistula closure without functional or esthetic impairment of the donor area and is a highly reproducible technique.

Otomicroscopic and functional outcomes after cleft palate repair via Sommerlad intravelar veloplasty vs. modified Veau-Wardill-Kilner push-back.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to compare the modified Veau-Wardill-Kilner push-back technique (VWK) and the Sommerlad intravelar veloplasty (Sommerlad IVVP) in terms of middle ear outcomes and oronasal fistulae frequency in three years old children. METHODS: For this retrospective cohort study, data were collected and anonymized from consecutive patients with cleft palate (with or without cleft lip) who underwent surgery in our hospital between January 2008 and December 2018. Patients with syndromic diagnoses and patients who underwent surgical treatment elsewhere were excluded. We collected data from 101 children (202 ears) regarding middle ear complications at the age of three, including acute otitis media, middle ear effusion, tympanic membrane retraction, tympanic membrane perforation, tympanic membrane atelectasis and chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma. In addition, the presence of oronasal fistulae and the number of ventilation tubes received by the age of three were recorded. RESULTS: The odds of children having a normal middle ear evaluation were 3.07 (95% Confidence interval (95%CI): [1.52, 6.12]; p < 0.05) times higher when children received Sommerlad IVVP compared to modified VWK. With 40.7% compared to 26.7%, a significantly higher incidence of middle ear effusion was present in the modified VWK group compared to Sommerlad IVVP (X2(1) = 4.38, p < 0.05). Furthermore, this group needed significantly more ventilation tube reinsertions (X2(2) = 12.22, p < 0.05) and was found to have a significantly higher incidence of oronasal fistula (53.5% vs. 17.2%, X2(1) = 14.75, p < 0.05). The latter was significantly associated with a higher need for ventilation tube reinsertion (X2(1) = 7.34, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study shows superior middle ear outcomes and fewer oronasal fistulae after Sommerlad IVVP compared to modified Veau-Wardill-Kilner push-back at the age of three.

Tongue Flap for Management of Large Palatal Fistulas.

ABSTRACT: One of the worst complications after a primary palatoplasty is the lesion of the neurovascular bundle, results into a type of flap necrosis, having as a final consequence a residual palatine fistula.In our institution the authors usually use tongue flap to repair large fistulas.The authors retrospectively reviewed all patients with large palatal fistulas that were repaired with tongue flap at Fundacion Gantz between January 2002 and December 2020.Fundacion Gantz has 1.067 patients with palatal surgeries, with an incidence of 5,8% for palatal fistulas and 3,2% (n = 2) were considered large.Surgery was done on 24 patients with large residual palatal fistula, all of them with tongue flaps as outpatient surgery. Fifteen were girls and 9 were boys, between 13 and 40 years.The average size of the fistula was 2,5 cm and 100% are localized in the anterior palate.The incidence of complications with tongue flap was 12, 5%: 2 dehiscences and 1 persistent residual fistula. The authors had no complications in phonation due to the lingual donor area.The authors consider that this outpatient surgery, is a reprodutible and safe technique, with a low rate of complications, which allows us to recommend it for the treatment of large palatal fistulas.

Técnicas y resultados de reparación de fístulas palatinas pospalatoplastia: estudio multicéntrico de 234 casos / Techniques and results of palate fistula repair following palatoplasty: a 234-case multicenter study

INTRODUCCIÓN: La fístula palatina es la complicación más frecuente tras una palatoplastia. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron: describir las técnicas de reparación más frecuentemente empleadas, estudiar los resultados y la tasa de recidiva, analizar posibles variables predictivas de recidiva y valorar la posible superioridad de una determinada técnica según el tamaño y la localización de la fístula. MATERIAL Y MÉTODO: Estudio retrospectivo de pacientes operados de fístulas palatinas desde 2008 hasta 2018 en 7 centros. Todos operaban al menos 20 casos nuevos de fisuras labiopalatinas al año (rango 20-80) con una incidencia de fístulas de 14% (rango: 1,5-20%). El seguimiento mínimo fue de 1 año. Se recogieron 8 variables para el análisis estadístico. RESULTADOS: Se operaron 234 pacientes con fístulas. La mayoría ocurrieron en fisuras labiopalatinas bilaterales completas (tipo IV de Veau). La localización más frecuente fue el paladar duro (tipos IV y V de Pittsburgh) (63,2%) y la mayoría fueron grandes (42,1%) y medianas (39,5%). La técnica de reparación más frecuente fue la repalatoplastia (34,2%). La tasa de recidiva fue del 22%. El análisis multivariante mostró más recidivas en fístulas tipo III reparadas con repalatoplastia en mayores de 3 años. CONCLUSIÓN: Se observó una tendencia a utilizar más reparación con colgajo en fístulas grandes del paladar duro, repalatoplastia en fístulas medianas de paladar duro y de la unión y colgajos locales o repalatoplastia en fístulas pequeñas en cualquier localización, pero no se pudo demostrar estadísticamente la superioridad de una técnica reparadora concreta en diferentes situaciones clínicas

INTRODUCTION: Palate fistula is the most frequent complication following palatoplasty. The objectives of this study were: to describe the most widely used repair techniques; to study results and recurrence rate; to analyze potentially predictive recurrence variables; and to assess whether a specific technique is superior according to fistula size and location. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of patients undergoing palate fistula repair in 7 healthcare facilities from 2008 to 2018. All facilities had at least 20 new cases of cleft lift and palate annually (range: 20-80), with a fistula incidence of 14% (range: 1.5-20%). Minimum follow-up was 1 year. 8 variables were collected for statistical analysis purposes. RESULTS: 234 fistula patients underwent surgery. Most fistulas occurred in complete bilateral cleft lift and palate (Veau type IV). The most frequent location was the hard palate (Pittsburgh types IV and V (63.2%)), and fistulas were mostly large (42.1%) and medium (39.5%). The most frequent repair technique was re-palatoplasty (34.2%). Recurrence rate was 22%. The multivariate analysis demonstrated more recurrences in re-palatoplasty repaired type III fistulas in patients over 3 years old. CONCLUSION: A tendency towards using flap repair in large hard palate fistulas, repalatoplasty in medium hard palate and soft and hard palate junction fistulas, and local flaps or re-palatoplasty in small fistulas at any location was observed. However, it could not be statistically demonstrated whether a specific repair technique was superior in different clinical situations

Surgical, speech, and hearing outcomes at five years of age in internationally adopted children and Swedish-born children with cleft lip and/or palate.

Internationally adopted children (IAC) with a cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) tend to arrive with un-operated palates at an age at which their Swedish-born peers have completed their primary palate surgery. Our aim of the present study was to analyze surgical, speech and hearing outcomes of IAC at age 5 and compare with those of a matched group of Swedish-born children. Fifty children with CL/P born in 1994-2005 participated in the study. Twenty-five IAC were matched according to age, sex and cleft type with 25 Swedish-born children. Audio recordings were perceptually analyzed by two experienced, blinded speech-language pathologists. Hearing and speech statuses were evaluated on the same day for all children. Surgical timing and complications as in fistulas and requirement for secondary velopharyngeal (VP) surgery, speech evaluation results, and present hearing status were analyzed for all children of age 5 years. Results showed that primary palatal surgery was delayed by a mean of 21 months in IAC. IAC had a higher prevalence of velopharyngeal impairment that was statistically significant, a higher fistula rate, and experienced more secondary surgery than Swedish-born peers. Hearing loss due to middle ear disease was slightly more common among IAC, whereas the rate of treatment with tympanostomy tubes was similar between the two groups. In conclusion, IAC with CL/P represent a challenge for CL/P teams because of the heterogeneous nature of the patient group and difficulties associated with delayed treatment, and the results show the importance of close follow-up over time.

Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type, with retrobulbar extraconal phlegmon and naso-oral fistula.

Extranodal natural killer (NK-)/T cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL), 1 is a rare disease that often mimics rheumatological and infectious conditions and can therefore be difficult to diagnose. The authors present a case of a 55-year-old Vietnamese woman who was misdiagnosed with severe atrophic rhinitis and chronic sinus osteitis. Over a period of 8 months from initial referral, she underwent multiple biopsies and was treated with various antimicrobial regimens until the histopathological diagnosis of ENKL was finally made. Her presentation was complicated by bacterial dacrocystitis, preseptal cellulitis and a retrobulbar extraconal phlegmon requiring surgical drainage. She also subsequently developed a naso-oral fistula on treatment. This case highlights the importance of repeated biopsies, in particular from non-necrotic regions of the sinonasal tract when a patient does not respond to therapy and clinical suspicion of neoplastic pathology remains. This is the first case of ENKL to describe significant orbital complication.

The incidence of velopharyngeal insufficiency and oronasal fistula after primary palatal surgery with Sommerlad intravelar veloplasty: A retrospective study in Isfahan Cleft Care Team.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine the incidence of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), oronasal fistula development and facial grimace in patients seen by Isfahan Cleft Care Team (ICCT) after primary Sommerlad intravelar veloplasty (SIVV). Furthermore the association of gender, cleft type and age at primary surgery with the incidence of hypernasality and fistula is determined. METHODS: A group of 40 patients with history of cleft palate with or without cleft lip were identified from the records of ICCT between 2011 and 2014. The main outcome measures were the incidence of hypernasality and fistula after primary palate repair with SIVV. Speech recordings were analyzed by consensus by two speech therapists according to the Cleft Audit Protocol for Speech- Augmented (CAPS-A), (Kappa = 82.4). Deciding whether or not to have a fistula was based on the oral examination videos. RESULTS: Severe and moderate hypernasality was observed in 42.5% of patients. Normal resonance and mild/borderline hypernasality was observed in 37.5% and 20% of patients, respectively. The frequency of fistulas was 7.5%. There was a significant association between hypernasality with cleft type and the age at primary surgery (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Significant progress has been made in the outcomes of the primary palate surgeries with the SIVV technique compared to the previous study in the ICCT.

Pólipos bucales como complicación de una fractura de la tuberosidad / Oral polyps as a complication of a tuberosity fracture

Introducción: la importancia de los senos maxilares se vuelve más clara cuando se entiende que los dientes son responsables del 10 al 12 por ciento de las sinusitis maxilares. Objetivo: caracterizar un caso de pólipos bucales como complicación de una fractura de la tuberosidad. Presentación del caso: se valora una paciente femenina de 62 años que refiere tener una bolita en la boca desde hace 3 semanas, que le ha ido en aumento. Al examen físico bucal encontramos un aumento de volumen en la región posterior maxilar izquierda. Al profundizar en el interrogatorio la paciente refiere que le realizaron una extracción de un molar en el área del aumento de volumen 6 meses atrás, que salió con un fragmento de hueso y que sentía que se le salía el aire, por lo que le suturaron en ese momento. Indicamos medios auxiliares de diagnóstico. Se llegó al diagnóstico de que se trataba el aumento de volumen de pólipos sinusales en una fístula bucoantral como complicación de una fractura de la tuberosidad antigua. Se decidió realizar tratamiento mediante la indicación de antimicrobiano, gotas nasales, inhalaciones, y la realización una técnica de Caldwell Luc, con eliminación de los pólipos presentes, más fistulectomía y cierre mediante colgajo vestibular deslizante. Se tomó muestra para biopsia que informó la presencia de una sinusitis crónica polipoide. Conclusiones: la cirugía bucal es de imprescindible conocimiento para todos los profesionales de la rama estomatológica. El caso presentado de pólipos bucales en una fístula bucoantral como complicación de una fractura de la tuberosidad, de infrecuente presentación en la clínica, contribuye a resaltar la importancia de realizar un correcto interrogatorio para determinar las herramientas diagnósticas y terapéuticas a emplear(AU)

Introduction: the importance of the maxillary sinuses becomes clearer when it is understood that the teeth are responsible for 10 to 12 percent of the cases of maxillary sinusitis. Objective: present a case of oral polyps as a complication of a tuberosity fracture. Case presentation: a 62-year-old female patient attends consultation with a lump in her mouth which she has had for three weeks, during which time it has grown larger. Physical examination reveals a growth in the left posterior maxillary region. During interrogation the patient explained that six months before she was removed a molar from the area of increased volume. The molar had come out with a bone fragment, and she had felt air escaping through the opening, so they sutured right away. We indicated auxiliary diagnostic means. Diagnosis was an increase in the volume of paranasal polyps in an oroantral fistula as a complication of a fracture of the former tuberosity. The treatment indicated was an antimicrobial, nose drops, vaporizations, and performance of a Caldwell Luc technique with removal of the polyps, plus fistulectomy and closure by sliding vestibular flap. A sample was taken for biopsy, which revealed the presence of chronic polypoid sinusitis. Conclusions: training in oral surgery is essential for all dental professionals. The case presented of oral polyps in an oroantral fistula as a complication of a tuberosity fracture, of infrequent clinical presentation, contributes to highlight the importance of proper interrogation to determine the diagnostic and therapeutic tools to be used(AU)

Pólipos bucales como complicación de una fractura de la tuberosidad / Oral polyps as a complication of a tuberosity fracture

Introducción: la importancia de los senos maxilares se vuelve más clara cuando se entiende que los dientes son responsables del 10 al 12 por ciento de las sinusitis maxilares. Objetivo: caracterizar un caso de pólipos bucales como complicación de una fractura de la tuberosidad. Presentación del caso: se valora una paciente femenina de 62 años que refiere tener una bolita en la boca desde hace 3 semanas, que le ha ido en aumento. Al examen físico bucal encontramos un aumento de volumen en la región posterior maxilar izquierda. Al profundizar en el interrogatorio la paciente refiere que le realizaron una extracción de un molar en el área del aumento de volumen 6 meses atrás, que salió con un fragmento de hueso y que sentía que se le salía el aire, por lo que le suturaron en ese momento. Indicamos medios auxiliares de diagnóstico. Se llegó al diagnóstico de que se trataba el aumento de volumen de pólipos sinusales en una fístula bucoantral como complicación de una fractura de la tuberosidad antigua. Se decidió realizar tratamiento mediante la indicación de antimicrobiano, gotas nasales, inhalaciones, y la realización una técnica de Caldwell Luc, con eliminación de los pólipos presentes, más fistulectomía y cierre mediante colgajo vestibular deslizante. Se tomó muestra para biopsia que informó la presencia de una sinusitis crónica polipoide. Conclusiones: la cirugía bucal es de imprescindible conocimiento para todos los profesionales de la rama estomatológica. El caso presentado de pólipos bucales en una fístula bucoantral como complicación de una fractura de la tuberosidad, de infrecuente presentación en la clínica, contribuye a resaltar la importancia de realizar un correcto interrogatorio para determinar las herramientas diagnósticas y terapéuticas a emplear(AU)

Introduction: the importance of the maxillary sinuses becomes clearer when it is understood that the teeth are responsible for 10 to 12 percent of the cases of maxillary sinusitis. Objective: present a case of oral polyps as a complication of a tuberosity fracture. Case presentation: a 62-year-old female patient attends consultation with a lump in her mouth which she has had for three weeks, during which time it has grown larger. Physical examination reveals a growth in the left posterior maxillary region. During interrogation the patient explained that six months before she was removed a molar from the area of increased volume. The molar had come out with a bone fragment, and she had felt air escaping through the opening, so they sutured right away. We indicated auxiliary diagnostic means. Diagnosis was an increase in the volume of paranasal polyps in an oroantral fistula as a complication of a fracture of the former tuberosity. The treatment indicated was an antimicrobial, nose drops, vaporizations, and performance of a Caldwell Luc technique with removal of the polyps, plus fistulectomy and closure by sliding vestibular flap. A sample was taken for biopsy, which revealed the presence of chronic polypoid sinusitis. Conclusions: training in oral surgery is essential for all dental professionals. The case presented of oral polyps in an oroantral fistula as a complication of a tuberosity fracture, of infrequent clinical presentation, contributes to highlight the importance of proper interrogation to determine the diagnostic and therapeutic tools to be used(AU)

Pedicle Tongue Flap for Palatal Fistula Closure.

BACKGROUND: Palatal fistulae are common sequels that appear in patients after surgical procedures in the palate. Considering the difficulty to achieve an effective treatment, there are many techniques to surgically manage fistulae, that is, the pedicle tongue flap. OBJECTIVE: Being so, the main goal of this paper is to report cases of patients with palatal fistulae, from different etiologies, treated with anterior pedicle tongue flap. PATIENTS: Eleven patients, 8 male and 3 female, mean age of 32 years old with palatal fistulae surgically treated with anterior dorsal tongue flaps. No flap was completely lost. There was 1 partial loss and 1 residual buconasal communication. The most common complaints of the patients were difficulty to perform oral hygiene and mild pain. CONCLUSION: The use of anterior pedicle tongue flap for closing palatal fistulae demonstrates to be a safe procedure with high success rates (81% in this paper) when correctly indicated.

[Florid osseous dysplasia: Management of a symptomatic case]. / Dysplasie osseuse floride : gestion d'un cas symptomatique.

INTRODUCTION: Florid osseous dysplasia is a rare and benign fibro-osseous pathology, in which bone is replaced by fibrous tissue and metaplastic bone. It can remain asymptomatic for a long time and is most often discovered incidentally during a radiological examination. Sometimes, patients are seen because of an infectious complication. OBSERVATION: An edentulous 62 years-old woman was referred for a painful mandibular swelling preventing insertion of her removable denture. Clinical examination showed a chin swelling, a deformation of mandibular bone tables of approximately four centimeters in diameter, an intra-oral fistula and a suppuration. Radiological examination showed a mixed bone lesion blowing up the buccal and lingual cortical plates and a bone sequestrum. Blood test was normal and there were no other skeletal abnormalities. The diagnosis of florid osseous bone dysplasia was made thanks to the confrontation of the clinical, radiological and histological examinations. Excision of the bone sequestrum associated to remodeling osteoplasty was performed under general anesthesia. The removable denture was rebased to drivehealing. DISCUSSION: Surgical management of osseous bone dysplasia is legitimate only in the presence of complications not responding to medical treatment. In all other cases, therapeutic abstention and long term supervision are essential.

Risk factor analysis of bone resorption following secondary alveolar bone grafting using three-dimensional computed tomography.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The purpose of this study is to analyze the risk factors for bone resorption following secondary bone grafting in the alveolar cleft, using three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) based on surgical simulation software (SimPlant OMS, Materialise Dental, Leuven, Belgium). METHODS: We reviewed the secondary alveolar bone grafts performed by a single surgeon between January 2005 and January 2014. A total of 40 patients with unilateral alveolar cleft were included in this study. The grafted alveolar bone was measured using surgical simulation software. In order to validate the measurement, each data set was measured by three different analysts and the inter- and intraobserver variabilities were calculated. A total of eight risk factors for grafted bone survival, including patient age, sex, body mass index (BMI), palatal fistula, amount of grafted bone, dental appliance, canine or incisor eruption, and preoperative upper respiratory tract infection, were evaluated using the linear mixed model and Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: The average alveolar defect size was 4.98 cc and the average graft survival was 67.5%. The inter- and intraobserver variabilities of simulation software were 0.758 and 0.915, respectively. Among the risk factors, only dental appliance (p = 0.02) and canine eruption (p = 0.041) were significantly correlated with graft survival. Other risk factors, including the amount of grafted bone, did not show a significant relationship with graft survival. CONCLUSION: Measurement of an alveolar bone defect using a simulation program based on 3D CT is reliable and reproducible. Secondary bone grafting survival was significantly correlated with canine eruption and dental appliance in the alveolar cleft.

Comprehensive surgical. Orthodontic treatment of class III malocclusion in cleft patient involving minimally invasive surgery Case report and literature review.

AIM: Surgical and orthodontic treatment of a teenage cleft patient. CASE REPORT: Authors describe the case of a 13 year old female cleft patient presented with class III malocclusion RESULT: The patient underwent comprehensive surgical secondary bone grafting and orthodontic treatment. Stable skeletal and occlusal class I relationship was achived and maintained in the post treatment observation period till the age of 16. DISCUSSION: Although several authors suggests primary gingivoperiosteoplasty, other advocates that such early intervention can cause later restrictions in maxillary growth. For alveolar reconstruction, maxillary growth and dental age were the main considerations in determining the timing of surgical intervention. CONCLUSION: This case showed that borderline cases of complex dentoalveolar and skeletal anomaly in cleft patients could be successfully treated with comprehensive secondary bone grafting and orthodontic treatment thus avoiding the need for orthognatic surgery. KEY WORDS: Alveolar bone grafting, Cleft, Malocclusion.

[Labial recurrent swelling revealing median congenital upper-lip fistula]. / Tuméfaction labiale récidivante révélatrice d'une fistule congénitale médiane de la lèvre supérieure.

Midline upper-lip fistulas are an extremely rare variant of congenital facial malformations. Less than 30 cases have been reported in the literature since 1970. We report the case of a 2 and a half-year-old girl presenting with a median congenital blind fistula of the upper lip, without any relation with the oral cavity. A recurrent swelling of the upper lip was the main symptom. Complete surgical excision of the cyst or of the fistulous tract must be obtained to avoid recurrence.

Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis obscured by midfacial trauma.

We present a case of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis whose sinonasal symptomatology was thought to be the consequence of a previous midfacial trauma. The patient was admitted to the Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery after more than 10 years of exacerbations of sinonasal symptoms, which began to plague soon after a facial contusion. We decided to perform CT of paranasal sinuses, and despite the absence dental symptomatology, the dental origin of sinusitis was discovered. The majority of sinonasal symptoms resolved after appropriate dental treatment, and there was no need for nasal or sinus surgery.

Prosthetic rehabilitation of an edentulous patient with an oronasal fistula.

The presence of an oronasal fistula presents a challenge to maxillary complete denture fabrication because leakage of air from the nasal cavity through the fistula prevents the formation of an adequate border seal. Although surgical repair or dental implants are possible solutions, these options are invasive and sometimes not feasible. This clinical report illustrates an alternative prosthetic solution by integrating a small retentive component into a maxillary complete denture.

Are cleft palate fistulae a cause of dental decay?

AIM: To investigate a possible correlation between fistula and dental decay in children at 5 years of age from a single-surgeon series of cleft palate repairs. METHODS: Retrospective review of data over a 9-year period between 2003 and 2011 of cleft palate repairs performed by the senior author at Birmingham Children's Hospital, U.K. Data collected on age, sex, age at repair, presence of fistula, and number of decayed, missing, or filled primary teeth (i.e., decayed, missing, and filled teeth score) at age 5 years. RESULTS: The overall fistula rate for this patient population was 24.1%. Fistulae were more common in the more severe forms of cleft type, as was frequency of dental decay. Comparison of fistula versus nonfistula groups showed a higher rate of dental decay (40%) in the fistula group, compared with only 20% in the nonfistula group (P = .036). CONCLUSION: A positive association was established between dental decay and the presence of a fistula. Although not proven as causative, possible reasons for this include nasal mucus retaining sugary food in the mouth and an overall prolonged food-clearance time. The known association between severity of cleft and an increased likelihood of a fistula and severity of cleft and increased dental decay were again demonstrated but were not found to be the exclusive explanation for the new finding of an association between fistulae and higher dental decay rates.

Important points for primary cleft palate repair for speech derived from speech outcome after three different types of palatoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to investigate speech outcomes after three different types of palatoplasty for the same cleft type. The objective of this study was to investigate the surgical techniques that are essential for normal speech on the basis of each surgical characteristic. METHODS: Thirty-eight consecutive nonsyndromic patients with unilateral complete cleft of the lip, alveolus, and palate were enrolled in this study. Speech outcomes, i.e., nasal emission, velopharyngeal insufficiency, and malarticulation after one-stage pushback (PB), one-stage modified Furlow (MF), or conventional two-stage MF palatoplasty, were evaluated at 4 (before intensive speech therapy) and 8 (after closure of oronasal fistula/unclosed hard palate) years of age. RESULTS: Velopharyngeal insufficiency at 4 (and 8) years of age was present in 5.9% (0.0%), 0.0% (0.0%), and 10.0% (10.0%) of patients who underwent one-stage PB, one-stage MF, or two-stage MF palatoplasty, respectively. No significant differences in velopharyngeal function were found among these three groups at 4 and 8 years of age. Malarticulation at 4 years of age was found in 35.3%, 10.0%, and 63.6% of patients who underwent one-stage PB, one-stage MF, and two-stage MF palatoplasty, respectively. Malarticulation at 4 years of age was significantly related to the presence of a fistula/unclosed hard palate (P<0.01). One-stage MF palatoplasty that was not associated with postoperative oronasal fistula (ONF) showed significantly better results than two-stage MF (P<0.01). Although the incidences of malarticulation at 8 years of age were decreased in each group compared to at 4 years of age, the incidence was still high in patients treated with two-stage MF (45.5%). On the whole, there was a significant correlation between ONF/unclosed hard palate at 4 years of age and malarticulation at 8 years of age (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Appropriate muscle sling formation can compensate for a lack of retropositioning of the palate for adequate velopharyngeal closure. Early closure of the whole palate and the absence of a palatal fistula were confirmed to be essential for normal speech. To avoid fistula formation, multilayer repair of the whole palate may be critical.