Surgical considerations in 22Q11.2 deletion syndrome

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) may be associated with several palatal abnormalities, including overt cleft palate, submucosal cleft palate, palatopharyngeal disproportion, and velar hypotonia. The syndrome is the genetic disorder most commonly associated with velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). The complex causes of VPD in affected patients combine with the complexity of associated medical disorders to render surgical management of the velopharynx particularly challenging. Optimization of surgical outcomes requires precision in diagnosis, surgical management, and multidisciplinary care. This article provides an overview of 22q11DS and provides a review of the assessment and surgical management of VPD in affected individuals.