Comparison of videonasoendoscopy and auditory-perceptual evaluation of speech in individuals with cleft lip/palate

Introduction: The velopharyngeal sphincter (VPS) is a muscle belt located between the oropharynx and the nasopharynx. Investigations of velopharyngeal function should include an auditory-perceptual evaluation and at least 1 instrument-based evaluation such as videonasoendoscopy. Aim: To compare the findings of auditory-perceptual evaluation (hypernasality) and videonasoendoscopy (gap size) in individuals with cleft lip/palate. Method: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study assessing 49 subjects, of both sexes, with cleft lip/palate followed up at the Otorhinolaryngology Service and the Speech Therapy outpatient clinic of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA). The results from the auditory-perceptual evaluation and the videonasoendoscopy test were compared with respect to the VPS gap size. Results: Subjects with moderate/severe hypernasality had more severe velopharyngeal closure impairment than those with a less severe condition. The interaction between hypernasality severity and the presence of other speech disorders (p = 0.035), whether compensatory and/or obligatory, increased the likelihood of having a moderate-to-large gap in the velopharyngeal closure. Conclusions: We observed an association between the findings of these 2 evaluation methods.