title: Routine Screening Ultrasound in Children With Cleft Palate and/or Lip: A Single Center Experience.
abstract: The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of associated congenital anomalies that is picked up by screening ultrasound of the heart, urinary system, and central nervous system (CNS) of children with cleft palate and/or lip deformities in a single regional center. A total of 225 children with cleft deformities were recruited in the study in 2009 to 2013, 91% of them underwent screening echocardiogram and of these, 98% of them were normal findings that do not require further follow-up ultrasound or treatment. Total 85% of the children underwent screening ultrasound of the urinary system and CNS, and of these, 99% were reported to have normal findings. Medium term follow-up of these children did not reveal any significant structural anomalies in the heart, brain, and urinary system that might have missed in the initial ultrasound screening. The authors suggest that in resource-limited settings, routine ultrasound screening of the heart, the CNS, and the urinary system may not be required in asymptomatic and nonsyndromic infants with cleft deformities and in those with "lip-only" cleft deformity.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Surgery, Division of Paediatric Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and United Christian Hospital †Department Of Paediatric Surgery and Adolescent Medicine, United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Man Yee Paula
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Sik Yin Nicholas
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Wai Yip Michael
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Kam Wing Kelvin
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Po Gee Geneviere
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Hin Biu
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D004453:Echoencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed / Q000379:methods; D014564:Urogenital Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging