In 1976 Dr. Paul Tessier described numeric classification for rare craniofacial clefts. He first emphasized that a fissure of the soft tissue corresponds, as a general rule, to a cleft of the bony structure. The classification, easy to understand, became widely accepted because the recording of the malformations was simple and facilitated communication between observers. The aim of this study was to present our own experience with treatment of patients with rare facial clefts.
Material and methods: Our Department has 11 patients with rare craniofacial clefts under its care. This group includes 8 boys and 3 girls. The patients aged from 2 months to 18 years at the time of the first consultation.
Results: In two patients the cleft was median, in seven patients it was one-sided and in two--bilateral. The most common type of cleft was number 6, and the rarest were 2, 3, and 7. All patients underwent surgical treatment.
Conclusions: Atypical facial clefts are rare congenital anomalies, however because of functional and aesthetic disturbances they constitute a serious medical and therapeutic problem. Facial clefts are characterized by variable clinical presentation and require individualized treatment plan.