Lobar holoprosencephaly with a median cleft: case report.

Holoprosencephaly is a congenital abnormality of the prosencephalon associated with median facial defects. Its frequency is 1 in 250 pregnancies and 1 in 16,000 live births. The degree of facial deformity usually correlates with the severity of brain malformation. Early mortality is prevalent in severe forms. This report presents a child with lobar holoprosencephaly accompanied by median cleft lip and palate. The treatment and 9 months' follow-up are presented. This unique case shows that holoprosencephaly may present different manifestations of craniofacial malformations, which are not always parallel to the severity of brain abnormalities. Patients with mild to moderate brain abnormalities may survive into childhood and beyond.