Deglutition in Patients With Hypernasality Associated With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Evaluated With High-Resolution Manometry.

To evaluate pharyngeal pressure profiles during swallowing in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and identify compensation mechanisms. Prospective experimental study. University Hospital and Medical School. Ten volunteers and 10 patients with nonsyndromic repaired UCLP with hypernasality (age: 19-27 years, 5 females and 5 males per group) were included. All participants swallowed 2 and 10 mL of water and underwent high-resolution manometry (HRM). Pharyngeal and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) parameters were measured using HRM. Student Patients exhibited reduced velopharyngeal closing pressure and velopharyngeal and tongue base (TB) region contraction times, compared to volunteers ( In patients with UCLP, velopharyngeal region alterations are caused by impaired muscle force and function. The reduced TB contraction time may be a compensation mechanism allowing bolus transportation without nasal regurgitation. However, deglutition is not completely altered since UES function remains normal. Future studies will need to reveal at which point a decrease in velopharyngeal closing pressure will result in velopharyngeal insufficiency.