Purpose: To explore the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of patients with velopharynageal
insufficiency (VPI) and to use the MRI information obtained to aid in the treatment decision besides its role in the postoperative
evaluation of the patients after VPI correction.
Materials & Methods: This interventional study that was carried out on 8 patients with VPI due to decreased velar mobility.
Preoperative clinical, nasopharyngoscopy and MRI were done for all patients. All patients were undergone intravelar veloplasty
to reposition the muscles in their normal position and increase velar mobility. All patients underwent regular follow-up for three
months by clinical, nasopharyngoscopy and MRI.
Results: MR images provided evidence of an interruption of levator veli palatine muscle tissue in the midline and a substantial
attachment of levator muscle tissue to the posterior border velopharyngeal insufficiency of the hard palate preoperatively which
was coincident with the decreased velar mobility via nasopharyngoscopy in all patients. Postoperatively, velar mobility was
increased in all patients which was evident by nasopharyngoscopy and quantitative analysis of LVP by MRI.
Conclusion: MRI has important role in diagnosis of VPI which was confirmed by nasopharyngoscopy beside its role in the
postoperative evaluation of the LVP.