Orofacial cleft in Southern Italy

Area of Science:

• Medical Genetics
• Congenital Malformations
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Orofacial cleft (OFC) represents a common congenital malformation with an incidence of approximately 1 in 1,000 live births.
• OFC exhibits diverse classifications, including cleft lip (CL), cleft lip and alveolus (CLA), cleft lip, alveolus and palate (CLP), and cleft palate only (CPO).
• The etiology of OFC is multifactorial, involving complex genetic and environmental interactions, necessitating studies in homogeneous populations to identify contributing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between gender, cleft type, and affected side in a Southern Italian patient cohort.
• To contribute to understanding the heterogeneous genetic and environmental factors influencing OFC development.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 650 patients operated between 1980 and 2002 at the Dental Clinic of the Second University of Naples.
• Statistical analysis using the "Test for comparing two proportions" to examine gender, cleft type, and affected side data.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant association was found between gender and specific OFC subtypes.
• Overall cleft lip and palate (CLP) and bilateral CLP were found to be more prevalent in males.
• Cleft palate only (CPO) and the right microform of cleft lip (CL) were observed to be more frequent in females.

Conclusions:

• The study identified gender-specific patterns in OFC subtypes within a homogeneous ethnic group.
• These findings align with previous research on diverse populations, reinforcing the heterogeneous nature of orofacial clefts.
• Understanding gender-related differences in cleft subtypes can aid in targeted research and clinical management.