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Start free with EleplanSubmucosal cleft palate
ORPHA:155878Morphological anomaly
What it is
A rare form of cleft palate characterized by congenital muscular diastasis of the soft palate along the midline with an intact oral and nasal mucosal lining. It is diagnosed by the triad of a bifid uvula, a translucent zone in the soft palate, and a bony notch in the posterior edge of the hard palate, all of which may vary in severity. Velopharyngeal insufficiency in the absence of this triad is classified as occult submucosal cleft palate. Patients may be asymptomatic or present with early feeding problems with fluid reflux through the nose, speech problems, recurrent otitis media with effusions, and hearing loss.
Key facts
- Classified as
- Morphological anomaly
Recorded for the broader condition
- Prevalence
- 1-5 / 10 000 (Europe)Cleft palate
- Age of onset
- Antenatal, NeonatalCleft palate
- Inheritance
- Multigenic/multifactorial, Not applicableCleft palate
Orphanet records these for the broader condition rather than for this specific form. They are a starting point, not a figure for this subtype — subtypes often differ, and some are defined by being rarer than the condition they sit under.
Signs and symptoms
These ranges are how often a sign appears across everyone diagnosed, not a prediction for one person — most people have some of these and not others. Orphanet also records findings that are specifically absent in this disease; those are in the data but not listed here.
Genes
ICD-10 codes
Related health topics
Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.
Cross-references
Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Data version 2026-06-23. Available under CC BY 4.0. This is a reference, not medical advice.
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