Short hard palate

What it means

Distance between the labial point of the incisive papilla to the midline junction of the hard and soft palate more than 2 SD below the mean (objective) or apparently decreased length of the hard palate (subjective).

Objective measurement of the hard palate requires special instrumentation [Hall JG, Froster-Iskenius UG, Allanson JE, Gripp K, Slavotinek A. 2006. Handbook of Normal Physical Measurements. 2nd edition. Oxford Medical, publishers]. A short hard palate may be associated with velopharyngeal incompetence.

Rare diseases that can present with this3

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 length of hard palate · Hypoplastic palate · Short palate