Home > Encyclopedia of Medicine > Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

Definition

Velopharyngeal insufficiency is the improper closing of the velopharyngeal sphincter (soft palate muscle) during speech characterized by an acute nasal quality of the voice.

Description

At the back of the mouth is a circle of structures that include the tonsils, the tongue, and the palate. During speech, this apparatus must close off the nose for proper articulation of the explosive consonants "p," "b," "g," "t," and "d." If it does not close, there is a snort sound produced through the nose. Improper function of this structure also produces a nasal tone to the voice.

Causes and symptoms

There are three main causes for this defect:

• Cleft palate is a congenital condition, producing a defect in the palate that allows air to escape upward during speech.
• If tonsil and adenoid surgery is done improperly, velopharyngeal insufficiency may result. The occurrence rate is...