Tessier cleft

What it means

A congenital malformation with a cleft (gap or opening) in the face.

The categories of facial cleft (subterms) correspond to Tessier, P (1976) Classification of rare craniofacial clefts, Journal of Maxillofacial Surgery; 4:69-92. There exists a competing classification system by Van der Meulen that divides different types of clefts based on where the development arrest occurs in the embryogenesis. The HPO uses the Tessier classification because it is based on phenotype rather than pathophysiological considerations.

Rare diseases that can present with this15

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: Facial cleft · Facial clefts · Tessier facial cleft