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Review
. 2017 Sep 26;7(3):93-100.
doi: 10.5662/wjm.v7.i3.93.

Accurate diagnosis of prenatal cleft lip/palate by understanding the embryology

Bram Smarius  1 , Charlotte Loozen  2 , Wendy Manten  3 , Mireille Bekker  3 , Lou Pistorius  4 , Corstiaan Breugem  2
Affiliations
Review

Accurate diagnosis of prenatal cleft lip/palate by understanding the embryology

Bram Smarius et al. World J Methodol. .

Abstract

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CP) is one of the most common congenital malformations. Ultrasonographers involved in the routine 20-wk ultrasound screening could encounter these malformations. The face and palate develop in a very characteristic way. For ultrasonographers involved in screening these patients it is crucial to have a thorough understanding of the embryology of the face. This could help them to make a more accurate diagnosis and save time during the ultrasound. Subsequently, the current postnatal classification will be discussed to facilitate the communication with the CP teams.

Keywords: Cleft lip; Cleft palate; Embryology face; Orofacial clefts; Ultrasound.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Development of the lip.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Caudal view of the fusion process of the palatal shelves.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Different types of cleft lips. A: Unilateral microform cleft lip; B: Unilateral cleft lip and alveolus; C: Unilateral cleft lip and palate; D: Bilateral cleft lip and palate with protrusion of the intermaxillary process; E: Lateral view of bilateral cleft lip and palate.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Prenatal, postnatal and post-surgery images of three different patients with cleft lip and alveolus, cleft lip and palate and bilateral cleft lip and palate respectively.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Echo pattern of a normal uvula visualized by ultrasound is typical and strongly resembles an “equals sign”.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Kernahan’s classification. The area affected by the cleft is labeled from 1-9, each of which represents a different anatomical structure: 1: Right lip; 2: Right alveolus; 3: Right premaxilla; 4: Left lip; 5: Left alveolus; 6: Left premaxilla; 7: Hard palate; 8: Soft palate; 9: Submucous cleft.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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