Passavant's ridge in patients with soft palatectomy.

Very little is known about the developmental aspects of Passavant's ridge. Several studies have looked at the prevalence of Passavant's ridge in the cleft palate patient where palatopharyngeal insufficiency has been present from birth. No one has reported on the prevalence of Passavant's ridge in adults with acquired soft palatal defects that result in palatopharyngeal insufficiency. This information would add to our knowledge of the developmental aspects of formation of Passavant's ridge. In this study, 29 soft-palatectomy patients were examined with an oral panendoscope for presence of Passavant's ridge. Eighty-three percent of the patients had Passavant's ridge during speech; 17 percent did not. In the 83 percent that had the ridge, the intensity of movement varied and was equally distributed among minimal, moderate, and extreme movement.