The Influence of Genetic Syndromes on the Algorithm of Cleft Lip and Palate Repair - A Retrospective Study

This study aimed to determine if the treatment algorithm used for nonsyndromic cleft patients required alteration to manage syndromic cleft lip and/or palate patients.

The records of patients managed by the Pécs Cleft Team between January 1999 and December 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. The sources of the data included clinical and genetic records.

A total of 607 patients were managed by the cleft team during the study. Sixteen patients (2.6%) were noted to be afflicted with a particular identifiable syndrome. Seven different genetic syndromes and one sequence were present in the study. The Pierre Robin sequence occurred most often, comprising 50% of the cohort. The treatment algorithm used in managing nonsyndromic clefts required modification in 13 of the 16 syndromic patients.

The presence of a genetic syndrome may notably affect the treatment algorithm in children born with cleft lip and/or palate. The surgical treatment of certain associated anomalies has by necessity, priority over the timing of the reconstruction of the cleft lip and/or cleft palate in syndromic patients.