Nasolabial cyst in a patient with cleft lip and palate

Abstract

Nasolabial cysts are rare non-odontogenic cysts that occur beneath the ala nasi, and debate about their complicated, unique pathogenesis continues. It is widely accepted that these lesions originate from the anlage of the nasolacrimal duct; however, some still think that nasolabial cysts arise from fissural cysts. The authors report a patient with a nasolabial cyst who also had a unilateral cleft lip and palate. This unusual finding may indicate a different origin for nasolabial cysts than what has been accepted in the past.