UNILATERAL ABSENCE OF THE SOFT PALATE - CASE-REPORT OF RECONSTRUCTIONWITH A MUCOPERIOSTEAL ISLAND FLAP

Congenital absence of half of the soft palate is a rare deformity. The re is little in the literature about its definition and management. Th is article presents a case with velopharyngeal insufficiency caused by unilateral absence of the soft palate. The patient was treated with a modification of the mucoperiosteal island flap, first designed by Mil lard, to provide nasal lining during pushback lengthening of a short c left palate. The speech quality of the patient improved noticeably aft er the operation. Although island flap has limited use in primary clef t palate surgery, it may be effective in reconstruction of soft palate defects, when standard pushback procedures are not adequate for solvi ng the problem.