Congenital Palatal Fistula with Cleft of the Soft Palate.

Congenital palatal fistula or perforation is rare, unlike the acquired form which commonly results from cleft palate repair. Congenital palatal fistulae are often associated with submucous cleft palate. Only a few of this fistulae are diagnosed shortly after birth. We present the case of a 3-year old girl with congenital palatal fistula coexisting with cleft of the soft palate that was noticed shortly after birth. The palate was repaired using Bardach's palatoplasty and the client was subsequently referred to a speech therapist.

Pedicled Radial Forearm Flap in Reconstruction of Complex Defects in the Craniofacial Region.

The radial forearm flap is a fasciocutaneous flap that has been used for reconstructing defects in the craniofacial region, either as a free flap or a pedicled flap. The pedicled radial forearm flap is a reliable option for reconstructing scalp defects. Microvascular free tissue transfer has, however, remained the preferred choice in the reconstruction of most complex scalp defects in the craniofacial region. We present the cases of a 37-year-old woman with an ulcerated malignant lesion on the forehead and a 40-year-old woman with a large malignant tumor on the scalp. Excision of both lesions, which turned out to be squamous cell carcinomas, resulted in complex defects that were reconstructed with pedicled radial forearm flaps. Both patients had satisfactory results and were counseled for radiotherapy.