Synonym: cleft palate. ... Origin: palato-+ G. Schisis, fissure ... (05 Mar 2000) ... 
Type: Term Pronunciation: pal-ă-tos′ki-sis Synonyms: cleft palate
palatoschisis Cleft palate. The congenital fissure of the soft palate or both the soft and hard palates, due to faulty fusion of the palatine processes. It typically opens through the roof of the mouth into the nasal cavity and extends anteriorly to the premaxilla, where it deviates to the right or left, following the line of fusion.