Morphological Study of Soft Palate by Using Computed Tomography–A Prospective Study

Abstract

Background: Soft palate is an important part of oro-naso-pharyngeal apparatus. The morphometric assessment of soft palate is well-performed on computed tomography (CT). Aim: To evaluate the morphology of soft palate in healthy individuals by using Computed tomography. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 300 healthy voluntary participants who were subjected to CT scan (sagittal view) of head and neck region. The measurements of antero-posterior and supero-inferior length of soft palate were performed by using Syngo CT 2009E software. Statistical Analysis: The statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS software version 16 and test applied were one-way ANOVA, independent t-test, chi-square and Karl Pearson’s co-relation coefficient. Results: The participant’s age ranged from 18-80 years with mean of 39.51±14.64. The study had equal number of males (n=150) and females (n=150). Out of six shapes of soft palate, Butt type (38.7%) was the commonest. The morphology of soft palate in different age groups was statistically not significant (p>0.05). The total mean of antero-posterior length (30.31±3.39 mm) of soft palate was more than supero-inferior length (10.72±1.71 mm). The mean of antero-posterior length in males (30.69±3.42 mm) was more than females (29.92±3.32 mm); which was statistically significant (p<0.05). The mean of supero-inferior length in males (10.67±1.78 mm) was less than females (10.78+1.64 mm), which was statistically not significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: CT scan is an important diagnostic aid for studying the accurate morphology of soft palate.