Conference abstract
Missed diagnosis of isolated bilateral transverse facial cleft: a case report
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2022:13(32).03
Feb 2022.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2022.13.32.896
Archived on: 03 Feb 2022
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Keywords: Facial cleft, macrostomia, orofacial birth defects, wide mouth
Poster
Missed diagnosis of isolated bilateral transverse facial cleft: a case report
Francis Fagbule1,&, Omolola Alade1, Olushola Ibiyemi1, Adeola Olusanya2
1Department of Periodontology and Community Dentistry, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
&Corresponding author
Introduction: this report describes a case of missed diagnosis of bilateral transverse facial cleft.
Method: a 9-year-old girl was brought to the Primary Oral Health Clinic on account of “very wide mouth” noticed at birth. The mother noticed the anomaly shortly after birth and immediately pointed the attention of the nurses and birth attendants to the defect but they dismissed her concern. Similarly, all through the period of her immunization where the girl had to present at the maternity centre, none of the healthcare workers she had encounters with recognized this as a birth anomaly; they literarily “missed the obvious”.
Results: the parents further reported that the girl received jests and abuses from her peers. A diagnosis of Isolated Bilateral Tessier no. 7 cleft was made based on clinical examination findings. She was referred (two-way referral) to a cleft centre where the repair was successfully carried out at no cost to the patient through the Smile-Train® sponsorship program. Subsequent follow-up visits have since revealed remarkable improvement in both patient and parents’ psychosocial wellbeing.
Conclusion: this study describes a unique case of delayed presentation of isolated bilateral congenital macrostomia due to healthcare worker’s failure to recognize, diagnose and appropriately refer the congenital birth defect. Further studies are needed to objectively assess the knowledge of healthcare workers on congenital birth defects. Continuous medical education for all cadres of healthcare workers on the identification, diagnosis and prompt referral of patients with congenital birth defects.
Missed diagnosis of isolated bilateral transverse facial cleft: a case report
Francis Fagbule1,&, Omolola Alade1, Olushola Ibiyemi1, Adeola Olusanya2
1Department of Periodontology and Community Dentistry, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
&Corresponding author
Introduction: this report describes a case of missed diagnosis of bilateral transverse facial cleft.
Method: a 9-year-old girl was brought to the Primary Oral Health Clinic on account of “very wide mouth” noticed at birth. The mother noticed the anomaly shortly after birth and immediately pointed the attention of the nurses and birth attendants to the defect but they dismissed her concern. Similarly, all through the period of her immunization where the girl had to present at the maternity centre, none of the healthcare workers she had encounters with recognized this as a birth anomaly; they literarily “missed the obvious”.
Results: the parents further reported that the girl received jests and abuses from her peers. A diagnosis of Isolated Bilateral Tessier no. 7 cleft was made based on clinical examination findings. She was referred (two-way referral) to a cleft centre where the repair was successfully carried out at no cost to the patient through the Smile-Train® sponsorship program. Subsequent follow-up visits have since revealed remarkable improvement in both patient and parents’ psychosocial wellbeing.
Conclusion: this study describes a unique case of delayed presentation of isolated bilateral congenital macrostomia due to healthcare worker’s failure to recognize, diagnose and appropriately refer the congenital birth defect. Further studies are needed to objectively assess the knowledge of healthcare workers on congenital birth defects. Continuous medical education for all cadres of healthcare workers on the identification, diagnosis and prompt referral of patients with congenital birth defects.
