Lateral or oblique facial clefts associated with accessory maxillae: Review of the literature and report of a case

Abstract

IntroductionLateral or oblique facial clefts associated with accessory alveolar processes are very rare congenital anomalies; only a few clinical cases have been reported in published literature. Case report and literature reviewHere, we present a retrospective review of 22 cases of lateral facial clefts and six cases of oblique facial clefts associated with accessory alveolar processes, and a case report of 23-year-old woman from China with bilateral transverse facial clefts and accessory alveolar processes. We present a summary of their clinical features, along with bone and teeth abnormalities. DiscussionWe identified 24 cases from published English literature and four cases from Chinese literature. Accessory alveolar processes in lateral or oblique facial clefts occurred most frequently in the molar region, with pterygoid processes and maxillary tuberosities as the most common site. The maxilla displayed a full complement of deciduous and permanent teeth appropriate to his age. Supernumerary teeth resembled deciduous and permanent molars developed in accessory alveolar processes. There was no cleft in the posterior maxillary alveolus. Some were cases of orbital and mandibular deformation. ConclusionThe maxillary prominence was the main area of the lesion. Accessory alveolar processes may be an isolated pathology in lateral or oblique facial cleft.