Cleft lip and cleft palate

Cleft lip and cleft palate are congenital openings in the upper lip, roof of the mouth, or both, caused by incomplete fusion of facial tissues during development.

Facial development: The embryonic growth and joining of tissues that form the face. The lip and palate form as facial tissues grow and fuse during early development.
Palatogenesis: The embryonic process by which the secondary palate forms and fuses. Disruption of this process can leave an opening in the palate.
Cleft lip repair: Surgery that closes a congenital gap in the upper lip and restores its form. It is the principal operation for repairing the lip opening.
Speech and language impairment: Difficulty producing speech sounds or developing language relative to typical expectations. Palatal structure and velopharyngeal function can affect speech clarity and resonance.
Submucous cleft palate: A concealed cleft beneath intact tissue of the soft palate. It shows that a palate cleft may be present without an obvious open gap.
Palate: The roof of the mouth, separating the oral and nasal cavities. A cleft palate is an opening in this structure.
Cleft lip: A congenital gap in the upper lip, which may extend into the nose or alveolus. It is one of the two principal forms covered by this diagnosis.
Palatoplasty: Surgery to close a cleft in the palate and reconstruct its function. Repair aims to support feeding, speech, and separation of oral and nasal cavities.
Conductive hearing loss: Reduced sound transmission through the outer or middle ear. Recurring middle-ear fluid can impair hearing in children with cleft palate.
Bilateral cleft lip: A cleft affecting both sides of the upper lip. This pattern differs anatomically from unilateral clefts and may involve the premaxilla.

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