The Prevalence of Platybasia in Patients With Velopharyngeal Incompetence

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of platybasia in patients with velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) and its relation with palatal anomalies and syndromes. Design and Settings: Retrospective case analysis. Setting: A university-affiliated hospital. Patients: The VPI patients (n = 366) included five groups with either cleft lip and palate (CLP), cleft palate (CP) only, submucous cleft palate (SMCP), occult submucous cleft palate (OSMCP), or non-CP. The control group (n = 126) comprised healthy, normal-speech individuals. Outcome Measures: The cranial-base angle was measured by lateral cephalometric radiography. The prevalence of platybasia (defined as cranial base angle ≥ 137°) was estimated and the patient's syndromes were recorded. Results: The prevalence of platybasia was significantly higher in the VPI group (28.7%) than in the normal controls (2.4%) (P < .001). A significant difference (P < .01) was found in the prevalence of platybasia among the five VPI groups: 16.7%, 20.3%, 28.8%, 33.7%, and 40....