Case Report and Differential Diagnosis of Van Der Woude’s Syndrome and Congenital Commissural Pits

Abstract

Congenital lip pits are rare defects' occurring on either side of the midline of the vermilion border. These pits may extend to 3 mm or more in diameter and up to 2 mm deep. They may be circular or present as transverse slits.23 Rarely, they may be located at the apex of a nipple-like elevation. The depressions often exude saliva spontaneously or upon pressure.2 When these pits are associated with cleft-lip and palate, the condition is referred to as Van der Woude's Syndrome.4 In such a case the clefts are bilateral in over 80% of patients. A few cases have been reported in which there has been but a single pit.2 Sedano et al2 reported cases of Van der Woude's Syndrome showing adhesion between maxilla and mandible, missing or hypoplastic (peg) lateral maxillary incisors, ankyloglossia and cleft uvula. They also reported that the condi¬tion is transmitted as an autosomal dominant con¬dition, and that the syndrome is seen in about 75,000 - 100,000 live births and affects both sexes equally.