Comparison of craniofacial morphology in infants with incomplete cleft lip and infants with isolated cleft palate.

The craniofacial morphology was compared in 30 infants with incomplete left-sided cleft lip and 30 infants with isolated cleft palate. Cephalometric radiographs were obtained prior to any surgical management at 2-3 months of age in the lateral, anteroposterior and axial projections. Compared to the cleft lip group, the infants with isolated cleft palate showed the following characteristics: short anterior cranial base, short maxilla, reduced posterior maxillary height, reduced dimensions of the mandible--especially mandibular length--, narrow naso- and oropharyngeal airway. The cleft lip group had larger interorbital width and symmetry deviations in the anterior art of the maxilla. It was concluded that already at two months of age and prior to any surgical interference significant differences in craniofacial morphology distinguished the group with clefts of the secondary palate from the group with clefts of the primary palate.