Nasopharyngeal Growth

Abstract

Variations in height and depth of the nasopharynx are quite apparent from birth throughout the early years of growth and development. However, many controversial opinions with regard to the comparative size of the nasopharynx in normal and cleft palate persons have been eXpressed (.948). Since horizontal and vertical dimensions of the nasopharynx in cleft palate children are intimately associated with the execution of basic and important functions, such as speech and respiration, it was considered important to undertake the present study, which was designed to answer the following questions: a) What are the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the nasopharynx in children with clefts of the palate from birth through 7 years of age? b) What is the pattern of growth in height and depth of the nasopharynx in cleft palate children from birth to 7 years of age? 0) Do vertical and horizontal dimensions of the nasopharynx in cleft palate children differ from those recorded for children without a palatal defect? The technique of cephalometric roentgenography introduced in 1931 by Broadbent (2) permitted Rosenberger (11) to make a longitudinal study of the naso—respiratory area in children from three months to five years of age. It was his opinion that an enlargement of the naso-respiratory area was achieved by growth in the body and the great wing of the sphenoid as well as by a forward drift of the hard palate. Brodie (3) demonstrated that the hard palate moves away from the base of the skull in a parallel manner with increment in age, and that this results in a progressive increase in the height of the nasal and nasopharyngeal areas. In a study of the growth of the pharynx, King (6) concluded that there is a considerable increase in the vertical dimension of the phar-ynx resulting from the descent of the hard palate, the mandible, and the hyoid bone as well as from an increase in the height of the cervical ver— tebrae. He also concluded that there is no appreciable increase in the anteroposterior dimension of the pharynx after an early age.