Audiological findings in patients with palatal fissure (preliminary study)

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to check the hearing in presurgical cleft palate patients. Twenty seven male and female subjects, age range 3 years and 6 months to 10 years and 6 months, with transforamen (uni or bilateral) and postforamen clfts were studied. Anamnesis, otoscopy, pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry and acoustic impedance measurements were performed. Pure tone audiometry showed hearing losses in 78% of the cases uni or bilaterally (22% were normal bilaterally). Impendance measurements showed abnormal tympanometric curve in 81% of patients uni or bilateral (19% were normal by bilaterally). Bilateral acoustic reflexes were not elicited in 89% of subjects (11% of cases with acoustic reflexes normal bilaterally).