title: Neonatal palatal cysts and their morphology in cleft lip and palate.
abstract: Palatal cysts (Epstein pearls) are occasionally noticed as white papules on the palatal mucosa of a neonate whilst having its 6-week postnatal check. We describe five cleft patients and the distribution characteristics of their palatal cysts, including the previously unrecorded observation of a submucous cleft palate with a double row of palatal cysts, one row on each side of the zona pellucida. The role of spatial morphology of palatal cysts in interpreting cleft pathogenesis is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: C X
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Ferguson
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D010159:Palate / Q000473:pathology