Acoustic Rhinometric Comparison of Cleft Side with Non-cleft Side after Repair of Unilateral Cleft Lip Nose Deformity

ABSTRACT

The upper and lower lateral cartilages provide the key to the lower cartilaginous portion of the nose. Lifting the cartilages is essential procedure for correction of unilateral cleft lip nose deformity. After correction of cleft lip nose deformity, authors used acoustic rhinometry (AR) to compare the lower nasal cavity of cleft side with non-cleft side. AR is a well known new, non-invasive diagnostic technique in which nasal geometry is assessed by means of acoustic reflection. From June 1996 to January 2004, we performed acoustic rhinometric analysis after correction of unilateral cleft lip nose deformity. This study involved 40 children of age ranged from 3 months to 8 years. Subjects were divided into the group of incomplete unilateral cleft lip nose deformity(20 subjects), and the group of complete unilateral cleft lip nose deformity(20 subjects). Results show that lower nasal cavity volume between non-cleft side and cleft side has no difference, and better results were obtained when nasal molding prong was applied at cleft side nostril. The results between incomplete type and complete type have no significant difference. In conclusion, AR is an effective method to calibrate cross sectional area and nasal cavity volume of unilateral cleft lip nose deformity, and furthermore effective in comparing the volume of cleft side with non-cleft side after unilateral cleft lip nose deformity correction with lifting the lower lateral cartilages to the upper lateral cartilages.