title: Lateral or oblique facial clefts associated with accessory maxillae: Review of the literature and report of a case.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The maxillary prominence was the main area of the lesion. Accessory alveolar processes may be an isolated pathology in lateral or oblique facial cleft.
authors: Department of Orthognathic Surgery, Tianjin Stomatological Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: houmin8181@sina.com.
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Hou
authors: The General Hospital and Postgraduate College of PLA, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Chunming
authors: C
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Orthognathic Surgery, Tianjin Stomatological Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jianguo
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Orthognathic Surgery, Tianjin Stomatological Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
authors: Lancheng
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: The General Hospital and Postgraduate College of PLA, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors: Quanwen
authors: Q
authors: Gao
mesh_terms: D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005145:Face / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000175:diagnosis; D008437:Maxilla / Q000002:abnormalities*; D024343:Open Bite / Q000175:diagnosis; D014096:Tooth, Supernumerary / Q000175:diagnosis; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Lateral facial cleft; Oblique facial cleft; Supernumerary teeth