Cleft palate congenital alveolar synechiae syndrome: case reports and review.

Five cases of cleft palate with interalveolar synechiae have been previously reported. This is the first report of siblings with this condition, and suggests a genetic aetiology. These patients present with an inability to open the mouth adequately. Initial management is directed towards dividing the intraoral adhesions, which may cause significant problems of airway management. Significantly, the intraoral adhesions resolved spontaneously in one of our patients. This, to our knowledge, has not been reported before. Copyright 2002 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons.