What is the meaning of velopharyngeal incompetence?

What is the meaning of velopharyngeal incompetence?

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) is when the soft palate does not close tightly against the back of the throat, leading to air coming out the nose (characterized by hypernasality and/or nasal air emission) during speech. This can cause speech that is difficult to understand.

What causes velopharyngeal incompetence?

What causes velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI)? The most common cause of VPI is a cleft palate, a birth defect in which there is an opening in the roof of the mouth because the palate didn’t form properly. Repair of the cleft palate may or may not also eliminate the VPI problem.

What does velopharyngeal incompetence sound like?

the small opening between the base of the tongue and pharyngeal wall. The air stream is released through the velopharyngeal port, resulting in nasal air emission. velopharyngeal valve. This results in a loud, bubbling-type sound, which is similar to a nasal rustle.

What does velopharyngeal mean?

Medical Definition of velopharyngeal : of or relating to the soft palate and the pharynx velopharyngeal structures.

How do you assess velopharyngeal insufficiency?

Oral motor assessment: A subjective oral motor assessment is completed by observing range of motion and speed of the lips and tongue and observing the soft palate and velar elevation when pronouncing the phoneme /ah/. Overall facial symmetry and muscle tone also are noted.

What sounds does velopharyngeal insufficiency affect?

The two main speech symptoms of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) are hypernasality and nasal air emission. Hypernasality is sometimes called nasal speech. In English the sounds “m,” “n” and “ng” are the only sounds that should resonate nasally.

How is velopharyngeal incompetence treated?

The treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency or velopharyngeal incompetence usually requires a surgical procedure (tonsillectomy, Furlow Z-plasty, pharyngeal flap, sphincter pharyngoplasty, or posterior pharyngeal wall implant).

What are the main leading causes of velopharyngeal dysfunction?

What Causes Velopharyngeal Dysfunction?

• history of cleft palate.
• submucous cleft palate.
• 22q deletion syndrome (DiGeorge syndrome)
• problems with the palate or throat.
• adenoidectomy.
• traumatic brain injury or other neurological disorders.

Is velopharyngeal insufficiency hereditary?

A genetic cause of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) is identified in about one-third of children referred with VPI and/or indistinct speech and associated features. Microarray analysis is recommended as a first-line test in all children with VPI and associated features.

How common is velopharyngeal insufficiency?

About10 to 40% of children who have a cleft palate with or without a cleft lip will have persistent VPI after their cleft palate repair. About 25% of children with a submucosal cleft palate will also have VPI.