[Ultrasonic prenatal diagnosis of lip and palate cleft. Report of 10 cases].

Hare-lips and cleft palates are the most frequent manifestations of facial malformations (approximately 1 in 1,000 deliveries). The authors point out their technique for ultrasound assessment of the normal and pathological fetal face in the antenatal period. The antenatal examination gives an excellent diagnostic approach of the site and the nature and the extent of the abnormality. The screening for facial defects can be carried out routinely when studying the morphology in the second trimester of pregnancy or when there are other indications for doing this. Although the malformation is usually an isolated one, the management of these cases really depends mainly on any associated malformations than on the normality of the karyotype.