PRENATAL-DIAGNOSIS - EVOLUTION IN CRANIOFACIAL SURGERY

Prenatal diagnosis of craniomaxillofacial malformations permits early surgery, before 6 months of life and possibly, in the near future, in utero, thereby obtaining the best aesthetic and functional results. In creased knowledge of embryology has largely improved the diagnosis of craniomaxillofacial anomalies, their classification, and therapeutic p rotocols. We analyzed nine pregnancies (one twin) in which cleft lip a nd palate (CLP)-isolated or associated with, for example, holoprosence phaly, hypertelorism, and micrognathia-was diagnosed by ultrasonograph y. Only one fetus of these pregnancies was later operated on in our un it. This patient, with 7 years follow-up, represents our clinical case . For these cases, early diagnosis of CLP allowed informed parental ch oice regarding the continuation or termination of the affected pregnan cy and planning of surgical procedures to correct the malformation. Th is is demonstrated by the presented clinical case involving an infant operated on within 6 months with success.