Evaluation of nasal airway volume and nasal function of operated unilateral cleft lip and palate patients

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate differentiation of nasal airway volumes via cone beam computed tomography(CBCT) and nasal resistance via rhinomanometry between unilateral cleft lip and palate patients and individuals with non-cleft skeletal class III serving as the control group. Material and method: 16 unilateral cleft lip-palate patients (UCLP) (8 females, 8 males; mean age: 15.7) who had received surgery were included as the study group. 16 subjects with non-cleft skeletal class III deformities were included as the control group (8 females, 8 males; mean age: 15.7). The individuals' nasal airway volumes (total/ cleft side/ non-cleft side/ control/ nasal passages) were examined with Dolphin 3D Software. The nasal resistance data were collected with rhinomanometry and all results evaluated statistically. Results: The results showed that the study group had significantly higher values in terms of total nasal airway volume.(p<0.05) Additionally, there were significant differences between the cleft side and non-cleft side volumes of UCLP individuals; between the cleft side volumes and the volumes of the control group subjects; and between the non-cleft side volumes and the volumes of the control group subjects.(p<0.05) According to nasal passage volumes, UCLP patients had statistically significantly higher nasal passage volume compared with control group individuals.(p<0.05) On the other hand, study group had higher nasal resistance results than control group, but there was not a statistically difference between cleft-side and non-cleft side of UCLP individuals. Conclusion: Our study results showed that UCLP patients, compared with skeletal class III control group, had wider nasal airway volumes and higher nasal resistance. These findings pointed out that, unilateral cleft lip and palate patients had some problems regarding nasal airway volume and nasal function, even when lip, palate and alveolar cleft operations had been performed.