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 Classification |
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Cleft lip and palate deformities occur at birth. These are of many types. |
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Cleft lip alone |
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Cleft palate alone |
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Cleft of the lip and palate combined. |
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Cleft Lip |
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This refers to a breach or a discontinuity in the upper lip. It is of two major types: |
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Unilateral cleft lip |
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1 |
Disunion of the lip on one side of the face only |
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Bilateral cleft lip |
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2 |
Disjunction of the lip on both the sides. |
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This cleft is called a complete cleft if it arises from the floor of the nose, splitting the lip, passes through the alveolus, to the palate till the uvula. It is called an incomplete cleft if the cleaving is restricted to the lip or the palate. |
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Cleft palate refers to a hole in the roof of the mouth, which separates the mouth from the nasal cavity. It is of four types. |
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Cleft of the Hard Palate |
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Occurs in the bony front portion of the palate, adjoining the lips. |
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Cleft of the Soft Palate |
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Occurs in the soft, muscular part of the palate, behind the hard palate. |
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Cleft of Both the Hard and Soft palates including the Uvula |
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Submucous Cleft Palate & Short Palate |
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This cleft occurs in the tissues beneath the mucous membrane that covers the palate. Hence it is often called the “invisible cleft”. This cleft is detected only when the child has a difficulty in speaking |
