Prevalence of Associated Anomalies in Cleft Lip and/or Palate Patients

Orofacial clefts are among the most common congenital anomalies. Patients presenting with orofacial clefts often require surgery or other complex procedures. A cleft lip or palate can be a single anomaly or a part of multiple congenital anomalies. The reported prevalence of cleft disease and associated anomalies varies widely across the literature, and is dependent on the diagnostic procedure used. In this study we determined the prevalence of associated anomalies in patients with a cleft lip and/or palate, with a specific focus on cardiac anomalies.

In this cross-sectional study, 526 patients with a cleft lip and /or palate admitted to the children's referral hospital between 2006 and 2011 were evaluated. All associated anomalies were detected and recorded. Patient information collected included age, gender, type and side of cleft, craniofacial anomalies and presence of other anomalies, including cardiac anomalies. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.

Of the 526 patients enrolled in the study, 58% (305) were male and 42% (221) were female. In total, 75% of patients (396) were aged between 4 and 8 years and 25% (130) were aged less than 4 years. The most common cleft type in our study was bilateral cleft palate. The most commonly associated anomaly among cleft patients, in 12% of cleft patients, was a cardiac anomaly. The most common cardiac anomaly was atrial septal defect (ASD).

The prevalence of associated anomalies among orofacial cleft patients is high. The most common associated anomaly is cardiac anomaly, with ASD being the most common cardiac anomaly. There are no significant relationships between type of cleft and associated cardiac anomalies.