Narrow philtrum

What it means

Distance between the philtral ridges, measured just above the vermilion border, more than 2 standard deviations below the mean. Alternatively, an apparently decreased distance between the ridges of the philtrum.

Although congenital sinuses of the lips generally occur in the lower lip, in rare instances they may appear in the philtrum of the upper lip, commonly close to the insertion of the columella.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Decreased breadth of philtrum · Decreased horizontal dimension of philtrum · Decreased transverse dimension of philtrum · Decreased width of philtrum · Philtrum, Narrow · Thin philtrum