Normal Skull of Newborn
An infant skull is made up of several bones. The cranial bones remain separate until about age of two. They are held together by strong fibrous tissues called
CRANIAL SUTURES.
Spaces between the bones within the fibrous tissues are called FONTANELLES.
As the brain grows cranial sutures stretch and produce new bone allowing the skull to grow into normal adult shape along with underlying brain.
If one or more of these sutures close prematurely the brain has no room to expand in that area so it expands in different directions and head shape becomes deformed. When this happens the condition called CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS occurs.
CRANIAL SUTURES.
Spaces between the bones within the fibrous tissues are called FONTANELLES.
As the brain grows cranial sutures stretch and produce new bone allowing the skull to grow into normal adult shape along with underlying brain.
If one or more of these sutures close prematurely the brain has no room to expand in that area so it expands in different directions and head shape becomes deformed. When this happens the condition called CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS occurs.
TYPES OF CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS
Metopic synostosis: The metopic suture which is from the top of the head down the middle of the forehead toward the nose, closes.
Sagittal synostosis: The sagittal suture located on the midline, extends from the soft spot to the back of the head, closes.
Lambdoidal synostosis: Premature closing of the lambdoidal suture, between the occipital and pariental bones, this is the rarest type, frequently confused with deformational plagiocephaly.
Coronal synostosis : The coronal suture, which extends from ear to ear over the top of the head on either the right or left side, closes.
Bicoronal synostosis: The coronal sutures on both sides of the head close prematurely.
What are the sign of Craniosynostosis?
- abnormal head shape
- unusual or absent “soft spot”
- baby’s head is growing slow or is delayed
- hard, raised ridges on the baby’s skull
- intracranial pressure
Typical complication of Craniosynostosis
- blindness
- seizures
- brain damage
- death (rarely)
What causes Craniosynostosis?
Craniosynostosis is most often sporadic .
In hereditary cases the cause is an abnormal
Chromosome or gene.
How is Craniosynostosis diagnose?
-physical exam, your doctor will feel baby’s head for
bumps, ridges along the head
- X-ray of the skull
- CT scan of the head
Treatment
Depends on severity, the sutures involved and presence
of a syndrome.
Most children require a surgery to better ensure a
normal appearance and to relieve intracranial
intracranial pressure.