A rare case of accessory maxilla and bilateral Tessier no. 7 clefts, a 10-year follow-up

Accessory Maxilla in a Tessier 07 Cleft - A Case Report

The Rationale

Accessory maxilla is a rare condition often associated with Tessier type-7 clefts with fewer than 25 cases recorded in the literature. This manuscript reports a unilateral accessory maxilla with six supernumerary teeth.

Patient Concerns

A 5-1/2-year-old boy, a treated macrostomia case, on follow-up visit showed evidence of accessory maxilla with teeth on radiological examination. The structure was interfering with growth, and hence, surgical removal was planned.

Diagnosis

Based on clinical history, diagnosis and imaging, accessory maxilla with supernumerary teeth was diagnosed.

Treatment and Outcomes

The accessory structures and teeth were removed surgically via an intraoral approach. Healing was uneventful. The growth deviation was arrested.

Take-Away Lessons

Intraoral approach is a good option to remove an accessory maxilla. Tessier type-7 cleft may be accompanied by type-5 clefts and such accessory structures when impinging on vital structures such as temporomandibular joint or facial nerve should be immediately removed to facilitate proper form and function.

Tessier's Cleft Number 6 Revisited: A Series of 26 new Cases and Literature Review of 44

OBJECTIVE

To fix a gray zone left in Tessier's classification of rare clefts with cleft 6 and to give a more comprehensive description of cleft 6 anatomy.

DESIGN

The material used for the research was a series of 26 clinical cases of patients with assessed cleft 6 and 44 cases found out of a literature review with enough data to be useful. The 70 cases were cross-examined by the authors.

STUDY SETTING

The authors are senior craniofacial surgeons working in high-case load department from university centers where the patients are documented and receive primary as well as secondary treatment and follow-up.

PATIENTS

The patients were selected out of the series of craniofacial deformities taken care of by the authors' department as rare clefts.

MAIN OUTCOME

We describe the full spectrum of cleft 6 as an autonomous entity that could present itself in three subtypes: 6a is the most proximal and could be associated with cleft 8. The subtype 6b is medial toward the zygomatic arch and frequently associated with a bone and teeth appendage (frequently described as a "maxillary duplication"). The subtype 6C goes toward the external ear between the helix crus and the auditory meatus.

CONCLUSIONS

The Tessier's opinion is that Treacher Collins syndrome was the association of clefts 6, 7, and 8 and is no longer sustainable in the light of modern genetics. Most of the cleft 6 are misdiagnosed in the literature.

A rare case of accessory maxilla: a case report and literature review of Tessier no. 7 clefts

Bilateral Tessier no. 7 clefts are rarely reported in the literature. Here, we describe the presence of accessory maxilla with supernumerary teeth in a patient who exhibited bilateral Tessier no. 7 clefts; the diagnosis was established based on the patient’s history, clinical presentation, and computed tomography images. A review of the available literature revealed 24 patients with Tessier no. 7 clefts from 2000 to 2020, including our patient. The most common clinical manifestation in patients with Tessier no. 7 clefts comprises bilateral facial clefts. Additionally, Tessier no. 7 clefts are more frequently found in boys or men, rather than in girls or women. The presence of an accessory maxilla with supernumerary teeth in a patient with bilateral Tessier no. 7 clefts is extremely rare. Early detection of craniofacial abnormalities is important, because it may influence patient prognosis and management.

Orbicularis oris muscle reconstruction and cheiloplasty with Z-plasty in a patient with a transverse facial cleft

Background

Transverse facial clefts are Tessier’s number 7 facial cleft among numbers 1–15 in Tessier’s classification of craniofacial malformations, which varies from a simple widening oral commissure to a complete fissure extending towards the external ear.

Case presentation

In a patient with a transverse facial cleft, to functionally arrange the orbicularis oris muscle and form the oral commissure naturally, we performed a surgical procedure including orbicularis oris muscle reconstruction and cheiloplasty with Z-plasty.

Conclusion

We achieved good results functionally and esthetically by orbicularis oris muscle reconstruction and cheiloplasty with Z-plasty. The surgical modality of our anatomical repair and 3 months follow-up results are presented.

Partial duplication of the jaw: case reports and review of relevant publications

Craniofacial duplication is a rare congenital malformation with a wide phenotypic range. The signs and symptoms range from partial craniofacial duplication to bicephalus. We describe two cases of partial duplication of jaw: a girl with a duplication of the maxilla, and a boy with duplication of the mandible. We review the relevant publications and discuss the pathogenesis.

Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of Tessier number 7 cleft: Case report and review of the literature

Lateral or transverse facial clefts are the most frequent of the atypical facial clefts, classified by Tessier as no. 7 clefts. Most of the cases are diagnosed at birth, while few cases are diagnosed prenatally. We report a case of prenatal ultrasound detection and three-dimensional characterisation of a lateral facial cleft at 21 weeks of gestation, which was terminated at 22 weeks. It was a transverse cleft, running through the left cheek towards the ear, along with micrognathia and mild polyhydramnios. We also present a review on classification, anatomical features and prenatal diagnosis of Tessier no. 7 cleft.

Lateral or oblique facial clefts associated with accessory maxillae: Review of the literature and report of a case

INTRODUCTION

Lateral or oblique facial clefts associated with accessory alveolar processes are very rare congenital anomalies; only a few clinical cases have been reported in published literature.

CASE REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW

Here, we present a retrospective review of 22 cases of lateral facial clefts and six cases of oblique facial clefts associated with accessory alveolar processes, and a case report of 23-year-old woman from China with bilateral transverse facial clefts and accessory alveolar processes. We present a summary of their clinical features, along with bone and teeth abnormalities.

DISCUSSION

We identified 24 cases from published English literature and four cases from Chinese literature. Accessory alveolar processes in lateral or oblique facial clefts occurred most frequently in the molar region, with pterygoid processes and maxillary tuberosities as the most common site. The maxilla displayed a full complement of deciduous and permanent teeth appropriate to his age. Supernumerary teeth resembled deciduous and permanent molars developed in accessory alveolar processes. There was no cleft in the posterior maxillary alveolus. Some were cases of orbital and mandibular deformation.

CONCLUSION

The maxillary prominence was the main area of the lesion. Accessory alveolar processes may be an isolated pathology in lateral or oblique facial cleft.

Partial craniofacial duplication: a review of the literature and case report

Diprosopus (Greek; di-, "two" + prosopon, "face"), or craniofacial duplication, is a rare craniofacial anomaly referring to the complete duplication of facial structures. Partial craniofacial duplication describes a broad spectrum of congenital anomalies, including duplications of the oral cavity. This paper describes a 15 month-old female with a duplicated oral cavity, mandible, and maxilla. A Tessier type 7 cleft, midline meningocele, and duplicated hypophysis were also present. The preoperative evaluation, surgical approach, postoperative results, and a review of the literature are presented. The surgical approach was designed to preserve facial nerve innervation to the reconstructed cheek and mouth. The duplicated mandible and maxilla were excised and the remaining left maxilla was bone grafted. Soft tissue repair included closure of the Tessier type VII cleft. Craniofacial duplication remains a rare entity that is more common in females. The pathophysiology remains incompletely characterized, but is postulated to be due to duplication of the notochord, as well as duplication of mandibular growth centres. While diprosopus is a severe deformity often associated with anencephaly, patients with partial duplication typically benefit from surgical treatment. Managing craniofacial duplication requires a detailed preoperative evaluation as well as a comprehensive, staged treatment plan. Long-term follow up is needed appropriately to address ongoing craniofacial deformity.