CLEFT LIP, ALVEOLUS AND PALATE IN AFRICAN NATIVES: AN UPDATE ON DEMOGRAPHICS AND MANAGEMENT OUTCOME.

Background: Development of craniofacial structures is a complex process and disruption of any of the numerous steps can lead to development of oro-facial clefts. This is a surgically amenable anomaly as from early life that has had conflicting pattern of demographics reported by various researchers globally. There are several factors that are critical to the surgical outcome.

Objective: Study the demographics and the management outcome of cleft lip, alveolus and palate and highlight factors responsible for improved care in recent time.

Design: Descriptive cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary health institution.

Method: All consecutive patients managed for cleft lip, alveolus and palate (CLAP) over 7years and 10months were studied.

Outcome: Cleft lip, alveolus and palate repair was performed on 149 patients, January 1, 2001- December 31, 2008 with an incidence of 2.1/1000 live births. From this, 27 patients, averaging 4.5 patients per year were operated for the first 6 1/3 years while the remaining 122(81.9%) the next 1 1/2 years, averaging 81.6 patients yearly. Their ages ranged from 3 months - 60 years with 77 (51.7%) males and 72 (48.3.0%) females. Cleft lip was the main presentation in 108(72.5%) of which 72(66.7%) were left sided. Bilateral cleft lip were14 (9.4%). Five (3.4%) patients had associated anomalies out of which 3(60.0%) had CLAP while 2(40.0%) isolated cleft lip or palate. The technique for cleft lip repair was Millard's and Noordhoof's while palatal cleft was the two-flap palatoplasty with intravelar veloplasty. Success was recorded in 142(95.3%) with complication observed in 7(4.7%) patients.

Conclusion: The rarity of cleft lip, alveolus and/or palate in the African native documented previously may no longer be tenable as observe in this study. Management outcome has improved owing to the collaboration with SmileTrain, USA, along with multidisciplinary approach.