Naso-Labio-Palatine Clefts: Humanitarian Care in Togo

Abstract

Introduction: The management of nasolabial-palatal clefts in precarious environments is one of the topics most addressed by many humanitarian missions, especially in Africa and Asia. The aim of our study was to propose a humanitarian and not expensive care to the patients presenting with facial clefts during the fairgrounds in disadvantaged areas. Patients and Method: We carried out a prospective study on 32 patients who were operated with very limited means during the mobile clinics inside Togo during the year 2013. These patients were followed over a period of one year after their surgery. Included in our series were native patients with facial clefts, who had no means of managing their condition, and who therefore needed humanitarian support. We have reported the clinical history of some patients to illustrate our results. Results: Our study included 32 children, including 15 boys and 17 girls, with a sex ratio of around 1. The average age of patients was 5 years, with extremes of 6 months and 13 years. We performed 13 clefts (including 12 unilateral clefts and 1 bilateral cleft), 17 clefts palate (including 12 unilateral clefts and 5 bilateral clefts), and 2 velar clefts. We described the clinical history of a few patients in this humanitarian setting and showed the surgical results obtained.