Can a Predetermined Grid and Multidisciplinary Consultation Improve the Description of Cleft lip with or Without Cleft Palate?

Objective: Evaluate the two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US) grid and multidisciplinary consultation (maxillofacial surgeon-sonographer) during prenatal US imaging to improve the sensitivity of prenatal description for cleft lip (CL) with or without alveolar cleft (CLA) or +/- cleft palate (CLP).

Design: Retrospective study of children with CL/P in a tertiary children's Hospital.

Setting: Single-center cohort study conducted in a tertiary pediatric Hospital.

Patients/participants: Fifty-nine cases of prenatally diagnosed CL +/-CA or CP between January 2009 and December 2017 were analyzed.

Main outcome measures: The correlation was analyzed between prenatal US and postnatal data with regard to eight 2D US criteria (upper lip, alveolar ridge, median maxillary bud, homolateral nostril subsidence, deviated nasal septum, hard palate, tongue movement, nasal cushion flux) in order to propose them in a grid, as well as the presence of the maxillofacial surgeon during the US examination.

Results: Among the 38 cases included, the results were considered satisfied for 87%. Sixty five percent of the US criteria were described when the final diagnosis was correct (5.2 criteria) versus (vs) 45% (3.6 criteria); [OR = 2.28; IC95% (1.10-4.75) P = .022 < 0.05]. This study also highlighted a more in-depth description when the maxillofacial surgeon was present with 68% of 2D US criteria fulfilled (5.4 criteria) vs 47.5% (3.8) when the sonographer was alone [OR = 2.32; IC95% (1.34-4.06) P < .001].

Conclusion: This US grid with eight criteria has considerably contributed to a more precise prenatal description. In addition, the systematic multidisciplinary consultation seemed to optimize it and lead to better prenatal information on pathology and postnatal surgical techniques.