Introduction and importance Tessier 7 craniofacial congenital cleft is a rare anomaly, occurring in about 1 in 80,000 to 1 in 300,000 live births, comprising 0.3% to 1.0% of total cleft cases. A total of 24 cases have been reported since 2000. This case is the 25th instance and possibly the first reported in Nepal.
METHODS: A 3-year-old child, accompanied by parents, presented at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery with complaints of feeding difficulties, speech impediment, and aesthetic concerns. Diagnosis revealed Tessier number 7 congenital cleft. Surgical intervention successfully repaired the cleft, involving straight-line closure of mucosa and skin, suturing of perioral muscles to establish a new modiolus and formation of a new commissure. Postoperative follow-up over 6 months demonstrated excellent functional and aesthetic results without any complications.
UNASSIGNED: Tessier 7 congenital cleft arises from anomalous fetal development, stemming from incomplete fusion of the maxillary and mandibular processes of the first pharyngeal arch. Surgical correction poses challenges due to atypical anatomical positioning and cleft appearance. The repair involves layered closure, linear mucosal closure, perioral muscle reorganization to establish a new modiolus, skin closure via straight-line or z-plasty techniques, culminating in the creation of a new commissure.
CONCLUSIONS: Given its rarity, surgeons must be well-versed in the intricate surgical protocol for Tessier 7 cleft treatment. Early intervention is crucial for optimal functional and cosmetic results. Key steps encompass establishing a new modiolus, forming a new commissure, and achieving effective skin closure.

A congenital cheek fistula is a rare malformation in the buccal area. Here, we report the case of a congenital cheek fistula in a 50-year-old woman who visited our clinic with complaints of swelling and pain in her left cheek. Physical examination revealed a small hole in the left corner of the mouth present since birth. She had no other congenital malformations in the maxillofacial region such as an accessory ear and cleft lip. Manual compression of the cheek mass induced serous discharge from the hole. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a cystic lesion in the left cheek and a fistula within the orbicularis oris muscle that opened into the small hole. After immediate incision and drainage of the cyst, both the cyst and fistula were surgically resected. The cystic lesion was completely delineated from the boundary of the parotid gland. The orbicularis oris muscle was partially incised to remove the fistula and the surrounding scar tissue. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen revealed a cavity consisting of epithelium inside the fistula. The postoperative course was insignificant. No recurrence of the cyst was observed six months postoperatively. The operative and pathological findings demonstrated that the ectoderm-derived epithelial tissue was enclosed by the mesoderm-derived muscle tissue. The mixture of different germ layer-derived tissues suggested that the fistula was a type of congenital transverse facial cleft induced by malfusion of the mandibular and maxillary prominences during embryonic development. The differential diagnoses of the congenital cheek fistula included orocutaneous fistulas and salivary fistulas. MRI was useful in delineating the border between the lesion and the surrounding tissue.