Unusual Traumatic Injury Causing Hard Palate Perforation

Palatal perforation can be defined as a communication between the nasal cavities and the oral cavity. There are various potential causes of palatal perforation. Failure of the palatal shelves to close during the sixth week of prenatal period results in cleft palate. Maternal alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking, folic acid deficiency, teratogenic drugs, certain viruses, corticosteroid use and anticonvulsant therapy are some of the environmental factors known to cause cleft palate [1]. Various infectious and granulomatous diseases, such as leprosy, tertiary syphilis, tuberculosis, rhinoscleroderma, naso-oral blastomycosis, leishmaniasis, actinomycosis, histoplasmosis, coccidiomycosis and diphtheria are reported to perforate the palate. Palatal perforation is also seen in autoimmune diseases like lupus erythematous, sarcoidosis, Crohn’s disease and Wegener granulomatosis [2].