Pre-surgical nasoalveolar moulding in patient with unilateral cleft of lip, alveolus and palate: Case report

SummaryIntroductionA 2 month-old infant with unilateral cleft lip, alveolus and palate was presented with wide alveolar defect, soft-tissue deformity and a markedly sunken nasal wing at the cleft side.MethodsThe patient was treated with a moulding plate and additionally with a nasal stent. The device consisted of an acrylic plate with an attached nasal stent that lifted the nasal dome.ResultsUnder this pre-surgical treatment, the cleft edges moved closer by 9 mm and 6 mm at the alveolar ridge and palate, respectively. The nasal wing was lifted considerably.ConclusionPre-surgical nasoalveolar moulding helped to reduce the cleft gap, improve the arch form, approximate lip segments and distinctly improve the morphology of the nose by correcting flattened nasal wings.