Craniosynostosis (sometimes called
craniostenosis) is a disorder in which
there is early fusion of the sutures of
the skull in childhood. It produces an
abnormally shaped head and, at times,
appearance of the face. The deformity
varies significantly depending on the
suture or sutures involved. Surgical
correction may be necessary to improve
appearance and provide space for the
growing brain.
Anatomy
* the bones of the skull are the
frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital,
and sphenoid bones (figure 1)
* the place where two bones come
together is called a suture
* at birth the adjacent bones override
each other to allow the infant to pass
through the birth canal. Hinges called
sutures, which allow the head to pass
through the birth canal as the child grows
the sutures allow for skull expansion to
accommodate the growing brain.
* the brain doubles in size by age 6
months and again at age 2 years. These
sutures normally begin to fuse around 2
years of age along with the closure of the
fontanel (soft spot)
* the seam where two skull bones fuse
together is called a suture. The major
sutures are called sagittal, coronal,
metopic and lambdoid (figure 2)
* the sutures are completely fused by
6-8 yrs of age
* within the skull lie:
1. Brain
2. Meninges
o the dura is a membrane that
lines the inside of the skull
o the pia-arachnoid is a filmy
membrane that covers the brain
3. Blood vessels of the brain
4. Cerebrospinal fluid (csf), a
watery fluid that is produced by and
bathes the brain. For more information on
surgeries
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