Cephalometric Pharyngeal Morphology in Adults with Unoperated Cleft Palate

Objective The aim of this study was to cephalometrically evaluate the pharyngeal morphology in adults with unoperated Submucous Cleft Palate (SMCP), adults with unoperated Overt Cleft Palate (OCP), and adults without clefts. Design This study employed a retrospective cross-sectional design. Lateral cephalometric radiography was performed on three groups of adults: 1) 29 with unrepaired SMCP; 2) 41 with unrepaired OCP; and 3) 39 without clefts, who served as controls. One-way ANOVA and rank-sum tests were used for intergroup comparisons. P value was set at .05. Results The soft palate length and the ratio of soft palate length to pharyngeal depth were significantly lower in subjects with unoperated SMCP and OCP than in non-cleft controls. Significant differences were also observed in pharyngeal depth, nasopharyngeal depth, and posterior pharyngeal wall thickness between subjects with unoperated OCP and non-cleft controls. Conclusions Pharyngeal morphology differs significantly between individuals with and without clefts, particularly in soft palate length and the ratio of soft palate length to pharyngeal depth.