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Congenital epignathus associated with a cleft palate: a case report
Fabrice Lele Mutombo1, Jason Nzanzu Kikuhe2, Noé Kasereka Mwanamolo3
1Surgery Department, Heal Africa Hospital, Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. fabricelele@gmail.com.
Insights
Epignathus, a rare congenital oral teratoma, poses a significant neonatal mortality risk due to airway obstruction. Successful management involves prompt airway securing and complete tumor resection.
Area of Science:
- Medical Case Study
- Congenital Abnormalities
- Surgical Oncology
Background:
- Epignathus is a rare congenital teratoma of the hard palate, occurring in approximately 1 in 200,000 live births.
- This condition presents a high mortality rate (80-100%) primarily due to neonatal airway obstruction.
Background:
Epignathus is a rare, benign, congenital teratoma of the hard palate with an estimated incidence of 1 in 200,000 live births. Epignathus frequently leads to a high mortality (80-100%) due to airway obstruction in the neonatal period.
Case Presentation:
We report a case of successful management of a rare oropharyngeal teratoma in a African newborn girl who was referred to our institute with a large protruding intraoral mass, combined with cleft palate, causing some respiratory compromise. The palatal mass was removed on the fifth day after birth, and a palatoplasty performed on day 30.
Conclusion:
Epignathus is a life-threatening condition at the time of delivery. Appropriate management begins with securing the airway, followed by complete resection of the tumor.
