The proboscis lateralis--a 14-year follow-up.

A short historical review of proboscis lateralis is given and some of the important contributions highlighted. Forster was the first to mention this abnormality. I collected 34 cases from the literature (including one of my own) and have divided them clinically into four groups. The proboscis is most commonly associated with deformities of the ipsilateral half nose, the eye, and its adnexa. The various lines of management of this problem are discussed. I recommend dilating the canal of the proboscis as a useful step when it is used for reconstructing the absent heminose. A case of a left proboscis lateralis associated with an ipsilateral heminasal aplasia, a bilateral cleft of the lip and palate, a congenital cleft ala, and microphthalmia with a coloboma of the lower eyelid is documented.