Symbolic Representation of Cleft Lip and Palate

Abstract

Since the introduction of symbolic representations of cleft lip and palate anomalies in 1964, they have served the clinician as a quick and easy method of recording these disorders. This paper reviews the evolution of the schematic classification systems and evaluates them. It then presents a new scheme that synthesizes what the authors feel are the most advanced of the existing symbolic representations. This proposed new symbolic representation scheme also specifically provides for ratings of severity (including the documentation of microforms) and facilitates computerized data storage and analysis.

Ten Years Recording Common Oral Clefts with a New Descriptive System

“…Several registration and classification systems have been developed in order to consistently categorize the observed types of common oral clefts (Kernahan and Stark, 1958;Harkins et al, 1962;Kernahan, 1971;Sandham, 1985;Kriens, 1990;Friedman et al, 1991;Schwartz et al, 1993;Koch et al, 1995;Smith et al, 1998;Ortiz-Posadas et al, 2001;Koul, 2007;Liu et al, 2007). These systems provide details about the cleft types according to anatomic appearance and adequately describe the more frequent variations.…”

An Uncommon Cleft Subtype of Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

“…Many clinicians now use a composite schematic representation based on the 'striped Y' approach. Recently, classifications that include a scoring concept in which the severity of the anatomical deformity is graded to predict the results of surgical treatments have been developed (Friedman et al, 1991;Schwartz et al, 1993;Mortier et al, 1997). Few classifications of cleft lip and palate, however, are able to represent an anatomical configuration of the secondary palate of persons with UCLP.…”

“…Many studies have developed classifications and representative methods for cleft lip and/or palate (Kernahan and Stark, 1958;Friedman et al, 1991;Schwartz et al, 1993;Mortier et al, 1997), but most have omitted this cleft subtype. Recently, Ortiz-Posadas et al (2001) proposed a classification for clefts that includes a representation of bilateral cleft in the secondary hard palate.…”

Classification of Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate-a Review

“…In 1971 Kernahan 9 further modifi ed this classifi cation into a striped Y symbolic classifi catio n (Fig. 4) The classifi cation was modifi ed later by other investigators, Elsahy 10 , Millard 11,12 , Friedman et al 13,14 and Smith et al 15…”