Cleft Lip - Van der Woude Syndrome
These diagrams and illustrations have been designed to help you learn, memorise and recall key information.
Anne Van der Woude in 1954 was the first to describe the association between lower lip pits and cleft lip and/or palate.
Whilst cleft palate is more frequently associated with an underlying syndrome, cleft lip is typically not associated with a syndrome. Van der Woude syndrome is the exception to this.
Van der Woude syndrome is a genetic disorder.
It is characterised by the combination of
- lower lip pits
- cleft lip with or without cleft palate and cleft palate alone (CP).
Other features frequently associated with with syndrome include
- hypodontia in 10-81% of cases
- narrow arched palate
- congenital heart disease
- heart murmur
- cerebral abnormalities
- syndactyly of the hands
- polythelia
- adhesions between the upper and lower gum pads.
The worldwide disease incidence ranges from 1:100,000 to 1:40,000.
