الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Cleft palate (CP) associated or not with cleft lip is a congenital malformation with a high incidence in humans, which occurs isolated or associated to other anomalies.
The cause of isolated clefting is multifactorial involving a complex influence of environmental and genetic factors.
Maternal smoking, alcohol use, Folate deficiency, Zinc deficiency, occupational exposure to organic solvents, Anticonvulsant drug therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increase the risk of cleft palate.
Cleft palate causes problems in feeding, hearing, dentition, speech and developmental problems. It is difficult to diagnose an isolated cleft of the palate and assessment of the severity of the cleft is often inaccurate, with clefts of the alveolus being interpreted as clefts of the palate. The addition of three-dimensional (and now four-dimensional ultrasound methods gives better quality pictures for parents’ benefit.
Prenatal diagnosis of cleft palate may be done through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in real time. CT is an important diagnostic tool for cleft palate. Videofluoroscopy and nasal endoscopy are frequently used as diagnostic instruments for assessment of velopharyngeal integrity.