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Vomerine hamartoma in a cleft palate child
Rameshwar L Bang1, Hisham Burezq, Imad Al-Najjadah
1Al Babtain Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, Ibn-Sina Hospital Kuwait.
Insights
This case report details a rare vomerine hamartoma in a female infant with cleft palate, successfully treated with surgery. The benign tumor caused feeding issues but showed no recurrence after nine years.
Area of Science:
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pathology
Background:
- Bilateral secondary complete cleft palate is a congenital condition affecting oral structures.
- Vomerine hamartomas are rare benign tumors that can present intraorally.
- Differentiating vomerine hamartomas from other midline oral masses, such as encephaloceles, is crucial for appropriate management.
Observation:
- A female infant presented with a bilateral secondary complete cleft palate and a vomerine hamartoma.
- The hamartoma mimicked an intra-oral midline encephalocoele but was radiologically confined to the vomer without intracranial extension.
- The lesion obstructed the oral cavity, leading to feeding difficulties.
Findings:
- Surgical excision of the vomerine hamartoma was performed at six months of age.
- A two-flap palatoplasty was completed at twelve months of age.
- Histopathological examination confirmed the lesion as a benign lipomatous hamartoma.
Implications:
- This case represents the first reported instance of a cleft palate associated with a vomerine hamartoma in English literature.
- Successful surgical management resulted in no recurrence over a nine-year follow-up period.
- The patient achieved satisfactory speech outcomes post-intervention, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.
Abstract:
A case of a female child born at full term after normal vaginal delivery with bilateral secondary complete cleft palate and vomerine hamartoma mimicking intra-oral midline encephalocoele. Radiologically the tumour was confined to the vomer without intra-cranial extension. The lesion was occupying the oral cavity causing feeding problem. Surgical excision of the tumour at the age of six months and two flaps palatoplasty at the age of twelve months were performed. On histopathology the lesion turned out to be a lipomatous hamartoma of a benign nature. The child was followed for 9 years with no evidence of recurrence and a satisfactory speech. To our knowledge this is the first report of cleft palate with vomerine hamartoma in the English literature.
