Van der Woude syndrome

Van der Woude syndrome is a genetic disorder defined by the combination of lower lip pits, cleft lip with or without cleft palate, and cleft palate occurring alone. Orofacial clefts occur at a frequency of roughly 1 in 1000 to 1 in 500 births worldwide, and more than 400 syndromes involve a cleft lip or palate, but this one is distinct because cleft lip with palate and cleft palate only can both appear within the same family. Other features frequently associated with the syndrome include missing teeth in a large share of cases, a narrow arched palate, congenital heart disease, heart murmur, cerebral abnormalities, fused fingers or toes, extra nipples, a short tongue-tie and adhesions between the upper and lower gum pads. This entry records the condition as a congenital malformation syndrome and does not give medical advice.