A unilateral cleft lip, commonly occurring on the left side, is more common than a bilateral cleft lip.
Unilateral cleft lip results from failure of the maxillary prominence on the affected side to fuse with medial nasal prominences. The result is called a persistent labial groove.
Cleft lip occurs in approximately 1 in 1,000 live births worldwide. The prevalence can vary by region and ethnicity. It is one of the most common birth defects, with the exact prevalence depending on genetic and environmental factors.
Cleft lip occurs more often in males, while cleft palate is more likely to occur in females. Cleft lip alone occurs in about 20% of cases, both genders. 80%--have both cleft lip and cleft palate.
As well as unilateral or bilateral, cleft lips are further classified as complete or incomplete. A complete cleft is the entire lip, and usually the alveolar arch. An incomplete cleft involves only part of the lip.
ICD-9-CM diagnosis code 749.21 = Cleft palate with cleft lip; unilateral, complete
When the affected child has unilateral cleft lip and palate, the risk for subsequent children increases to 4.2%.
This classification divides cleft lip into unilateral or bilateral (right, left or extent) in thirds--(i.e., one-third, two-thirds, three-thirds), or median cleft lip, the extent of which is also measured in thirds.
The prevalence of cleft lip can vary among different nationalities. However, some research suggests that East Asian populations, such as those in Japan and Korea, have lower rates of cleft lip compared to other regions. Nordic countries like Sweden and Norway also tend to have lower prevalence rates. Ultimately, the prevalence can vary within a population due to genetic and environmental factors.
Similar to unilateral cleft lip formation, with varying degrees of deformity on each side of the defect. An anatomical structure (intermaxillary segment) projects to the front and hangs unattached.
The CPT Code fro palstic repair fo a bilateral cleft lip, primary bilateral in one stage is 40701. For unilateral without a stage, the CPT Code is 40700.
A "cleft lip" affects just the patient's lip, and a "cleft palate" affects the palate, or the roof of your mouth.
A cleft, typically referring to a cleft lip or cleft palate, appears as a noticeable gap or opening in the upper lip and/or the roof of the mouth. A cleft lip may range from a small notch to a significant separation that extends into the nose, while a cleft palate involves a split in the oral cavity that can affect the hard and/or soft palate. These conditions can vary in severity and may be unilateral (one side) or bilateral (both sides). Clefts can impact feeding, speech, and overall facial aesthetics, but they are treatable through surgical intervention.