Mar 15th, 2023 - Overview What are birth defects? Birth defects are abnormal growth changes in your body that happen during fetal development. These changes can affect any part of your child’s body. A healthcare provider can detect birth defects during pregnancy, after your baby is born or later during your child’s life. Most providers identify a birth defect within your child’s first year. Not all birth defect...

Feb 24th, 2023 - Overview Your oropharynx includes the back part of your tongue (base of tongue), your tonsils, your soft palate (back part of the roof of your mouth), and the sides and walls of your throat. What is oropharyngeal cancer? Oropharyngeal cancer is cancer in your oropharynx, the middle section of your throat (pharynx) that makes saliva, keeps your mouth and throat moist and helps you digest food. H...

Jan 24th, 2023 - Overview Cold sore Open pop-up dialog box Close Cold sore Cold sore Cold sores, often called fever blisters, are clustered, small, fluid-filled blisters. You may feel a tingling on your lip before a small, hard, painful spot appears (top). In a day or two, blisters form, which later break and ooze (bottom). Healing usually occurs in two to three weeks without scarring. Cold sores — also called ...

Jan 11th, 2023 - Overview Marfan syndrome is an inherited disorder that affects connective tissue — the fibers that support and anchor your organs and other structures in your body. Marfan syndrome most commonly affects the heart, eyes, blood vessels and skeleton. People with Marfan syndrome are usually tall and thin with unusually long arms, legs, fingers and toes. The damage caused by Marfan syndrome can be m...

Jan 11th, 2023 - Overview Marfan syndrome is an inherited disorder that affects connective tissue — the fibers that support and anchor your organs and other structures in your body. Marfan syndrome most commonly affects the heart, eyes, blood vessels and skeleton. People with Marfan syndrome are usually tall and thin with unusually long arms, legs, fingers and toes. The damage caused by Marfan syndrome can be m...

Nov 30th, 2022 - Overview Strep throat is a bacterial infection that can make your throat feel sore and scratchy. Strep throat accounts for only a small portion of sore throats. If untreated, strep throat can cause complications, such as kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever can lead to painful and inflamed joints, a specific type of rash, or heart valve damage. Strep throat is most common in ...

Nov 15th, 2022 - Overview Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the tongue and soft palate block the airway while you’re sleeping. What is sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is a condition that causes you to stop breathing while you’re sleeping. The word “apnea” comes from the Greek word for “breathless.” Sleep apnea happens because you stop breathing in your sleep. This happens either because of blockage of your airway (o...

Oct 26th, 2022 - Overview What is mouth cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains Learn more about mouth cancer, also called oral cancer, from oncologist Katharine Price, M.D. Show transcript for video What is mouth cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains Hello, I'm Dr. Katharine Price, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic. In this video, we'll cover the basics of oral cancer: What is it? Who gets it? The symptoms, diagnosis...

Oct 25th, 2022 - Overview What are lip lines? Lip lines are vertical wrinkles that can appear on your lips and extend from your upper lip to the tip of your nose. Lip wrinkles may range from fine, subtle lines to deep creases. What are other names for lip lines? Lip lines are also called smoker’s lines and lipstick lines. Healthcare providers may use the terms “perioral rhytides” or “perioral wrinkles.” (“Peri”...

Sep 30th, 2022 - Overview What is Stickler syndrome? Stickler syndrome is a genetic condition that affects connective tissues that support and give structure to other organs in your body, primarily in the face, ears, eyes and joints. This hereditary condition can cause facial abnormalities like a cleft palate. The condition can lead to problems with vision, hearing and movement. Stickler syndrome is also known ...

Sep 22nd, 2022 - Overview Tonsils Open pop-up dialog box Close Tonsils Tonsils Your tonsils are two oval-shaped pads in the back of your mouth. Your tonsils are part of your body's germ-fighting immune system. Tonsil cancer is an abnormal growth of cells that forms in a tonsil. Your tonsils are two oval-shaped pads in the back of your mouth that are part of your body's germ-fighting immune system. Tonsil cancer...

Sep 15th, 2022 - Craniosynostosis Care at Mayo Clinic Craniosynostosis – Mayo Clinic Show transcript for video Craniosynostosis – Mayo Clinic My name is Edward Ahn. I'm a pediatric neurosurgeon and I'll be working on the treatment, the surgical treatment of all neurological disorders of children here at Mayo Clinic. Craniosynostosis is, as we mentioned, the early fusion of the bony plates on the skull, and it r...

Sep 15th, 2022 - Overview Cleft lip Open pop-up dialog box Close Cleft lip Cleft lip A cleft lip is an opening or split in the upper lip that occurs when developing facial structures in an unborn baby don't close completely. Cleft lip may be unilateral or bilateral. A baby with a cleft lip may also experience a cleft in the roof of the mouth (cleft palate). Cleft palate Open pop-up dialog box Close Cleft palate...

Sep 15th, 2022 - Cleft lip and cleft palate care at Mayo Clinic Extensive experience. Mayo Clinic specialists treat hundreds of children each year who have cleft lip and cleft palate, including the most complicated cases. Multispecialty team approach. Mayo's team at the Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic in Minnesota includes experts from various specialties, depending on your child's needs. Directed by plastic surg...

Sep 15th, 2022 - Diagnosis Most cases of cleft lip and cleft palate are noticed right away at birth and don't require special tests for diagnosis. Increasingly, cleft lip and cleft palate are seen on ultrasound before the baby is born. Ultrasound before birth A prenatal ultrasound is a test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the developing fetus. When analyzing the pictures, a doctor may detect a diffe...

Sep 15th, 2022 - Overview What is anodontia? Anodontia is the complete absence of teeth. It’s a rare form of dental agenesis — a term healthcare providers use to describe congenitally missing teeth. (“Congenitally” means you’re born with the condition.) People with anodontia don’t have teeth because their teeth never developed. This condition can involve both primary (baby) and permanent (adult) teeth. Many peo...

Aug 25th, 2022 - Overview Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited disorders that affect your connective tissues — primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls. Connective tissue is a complex mixture of proteins and other substances that provide strength and elasticity to the underlying structures in your body. People who have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome usually have overly flexible joints and stretchy, ...

Aug 19th, 2022 - Overview What is a submucous cleft palate? A submucous cleft palate (SMCP) is a type of cleft palate. Your palate is the roof of your mouth. A cleft refers to a separation (or opening) in the palate. Your palate consists of the hard palate (the bony front portion of the roof of your mouth) or the soft palate (the soft back portion of the roof of your mouth). Someone with a submucous cleft palat...

Aug 4th, 2022 - Overview What is a bifid uvula? A bifid uvula is a uvula that’s forked or split into two parts. (Your uvula is the fleshy hanging ball in the back of your throat.) Some healthcare providers call a bifid uvula a “cleft uvula.” That’s because it’s the mildest form of cleft palate — a condition in which your baby’s palate (roof of their mouth) has a split or opening. Like cleft palate, bifid uvula...

Aug 2nd, 2022 - Diagnosis Sjogren's syndrome can be difficult to diagnose because the signs and symptoms vary from person to person and can be similar to those caused by other diseases. Side effects of a number of medications also mimic some signs and symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome. Tests can help rule out other conditions and help pinpoint a diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome. Blood tests Your doctor might order...