Isolated Cleft Lip Palate vs. Syndromic Cleft Lip Palate

Isolated Cleft Lip Palate vs. Syndromic Cleft Lip Palate

Left picture: The patient has an isolated bilateral cleft lip palate. Right picture: The appearance, clinical and additional examinations permit the diagnosis of a syndromic cleft lip palate with microencephaly, microphthalmia, atrial septal defect, and other malformations in a case of trisomy 13. In every cleft lip palate case the examiner must look at the pathoanatomical details and also at possible dysplastic signs because they may be an indication of a syndromic form of cleft lip palate.

Both neonates have a bilateral cleft lip palate. Left picture: The premaxillary is well developed and covered by the relatively large middle part of the upper lip. Right picture: The premaxillary is not prominent and is even hypoplastic with a very small middle part of the upper lip; in addition, there are general dysplastic signs like low set auricles, broad root of the nose, and a disproportion between broad facial bone and low frontal skull.