INFORMATION ON CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS

Craniosynostosis is a congenital defect (Present at the time of birth). One or more stitches, the connections between skull bones, prematurely close during the first year of life, which causes a typical shaped skull.

Metopic craniosynostosis

Narrow, triangular craniosynostosis forehead with pinching of the temples laterally is Metopic craniosynostosis. Metopic Craniosynostosis Treatment is done by releasing the suture and expanding and rounding out the upper face, forehead and skull

Sagittal synostosis

The sagittal suture runs from a spot at the front of the head to the back of the skulI. Fusion of the suture results in a long, narrow skull with or without bulging of both the front and back of the head. Surgery of sagittal craniosynostosis is done by removing the suture and widening the skull by opening up the coronal and lambdoid sutures on both sides of the head. Sometimes bone grafts are placed to keep the out-fractured bones apart

CAUSES OF CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS

The cause of Craniosynostosis is not known. In an infant's head, the stitches mark the boundaries between the flat bones that make up the skull. Premature closure of these stitches stops bony growth and outcome in deformity of the skull. The shape of the deformity is determined by which stitches are involved. The condition may be hereditary and origin by a genetic defect, or it can occur sporadically in a family with no other affected family members. The hereditary form often occurs with other shortcomings that can cause seizures, diminished intellectual capacity, and blindness. Most cases, however, are sporadic (non-hereditary) and children with Craniosynostosis are otherwise fit and have normal intelligence.

SYMPTOMS OF CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS

• Absence of the normal feeling of a "soft spot" (fontanelle) on the infant's skull
• Disappearance of the fontanelle before time
• A raised hard ridge along the affected stitches
• Odd head shape
• Slow or no enlarge in the head size over time as the baby grows

TREATMENT OF CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS

The major treatment for craniosynostosis is craniosynostosis surgery during infancy. The surgical goal is to relieve pressure, assure that the skull has the capability to accommodate the brain's growth, and recover the appearance of the child's head.