Prevention of severe mucosecretory ear disease and its complications in patients with cleft lip and palate malformations.

Morphological and functional alterations in patients with cleft lip and palate act as predisposing factors in eustachian tube dysfunctions and as a result thereof in the occurrence of mucosecretory ear disease (MSED) and its complications. Development of MSED is the result of tube dysfunction and it consists of: (a) fluctuating conductive hearing loss, (b) swallowing alterations and (c) respiratory functional disorders. Once this syndrome is confirmed in children with clefts, action must be taken through a coordinated multidisciplinary approach with plastic surgery, odontology, and speech therapy to achieve morphological and functional reconstruction, thus allowing early middle ear ventilation.