Inheritance of harelip and cleft palate in man

Summary The observations ofBirkenfeld, Schröder and ofSanders on harelip and cleft palate in man can be arranged in such a way that they all support the hypothesis that the trait is inherited as a double recessive, one gene being autosomal and the other one sex-linked. This explains the fact that harelip is twice as common in the male sex as it is in the female.With 1 plate     

Growth status of children treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate

Cephalometric distances, angles, and proportions were evaluated for 32 children 5 to 8 years of age treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate. The children were age and sex matched with untreated controls with normal skeletal relationships. The unilateral cleft lip and palate sample was treated by the same surgeon and orthodontist using the same techniques and appliances. Measures of overall facial proportions, facial convexity, and prognathism were not significantly different between the two groups. The primary group differences pertain to the posterior aspect of the maxilla, which is vertically short in the unilateral cleft lip and palate sample. Horizontally, the maxilla of the unilateral cleft lip and palate children was significantly longer, producing a steeper palatal plane. In addition, the zygoma and orbits of unilateral cleft lip and palate children were somewhat retruded; the posterior cranial base and total mandibular length also were longer in the unilateral cleft lip and palate children.     

Distichiasis and cleft palate

A patient with the unusual coexistence of distichiasis and cleft palate is described. Distichiasis is a rare congenital eyelid anomaly in which accessory eyelashes are present in the meibomian gland orifices. Its association with other systemic abnormalities is reviewed; the distinctions among distichiasis, trichiasis, entropion, and epiblepharon are outlined; and methods of treatment for distichiasis are described.     

A technique for cleft palate repair

The author has developed a technique of palate repair that combines minimal hard palate dissection with radical retropositioning of the velar musculature and tensor tenotomy. The repair is performed under the operating microscope. Results are reported for 442 primary palate repairs performed between 1978 and 1992 inclusive, with follow-up of at least 10 years. In 80 percent of these palate repairs, repair was carried out through incisions at the margins of the cleft and without any mucoperiosteal flap elevation or lateral incisions. Secondary velopharyngeal rates have decreased from 10.2 to 4.9 to 4.6 percent in successive 5-year periods within this 15-year period. Evidence from independent assessment of speech results in palate re-repair and submucous cleft palate repair suggests that this more radical muscle dissection improves velar function.