Cleft palate and congenital lateral alveolar synechia syndrome: case presentation and literature review

Abstract

Cleft palate and congenital lateral alveolar synechia syndrome remains a rare occurrence. Our patient represents only the fourth case of bilateral alveolar synechia with isolated cleft palate in the world literature and, as such, is only the second patient from the United States. More commonly, additional anomalies are associated. Just more than 50 cases involving intraoral synechiae have been reported. This group of cases has implications on fetal facial growth and cleft palate development because there are no documented cases of lateral interalveolar synechiae without cleft palate. Earlier reports can be grouped as variants along the spectrum. Theories of etiology are discussed.