Craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis refers to deformities in the shape of a child’s head due to the premature closure of growth lines called sutures. The closure of sutures, which are growth lines in the child’s head, can occur spontaneously or hereditarily in some syndromes and disease groups.

Craniosynostosis Treatment at Liv Hospital

There are two types of craniosynostosis: simple synostosis and syndromic synostosis. Simple synostosis involves the fusion of a single suture, leading to a specific deformity. The most common are sagittal synostosis and scaphocephaly, where the head shape is long in the front-back plane, narrow from the sides, and flattened. Forehead protrusion is observed.

Coronal synostosis, or plagiocephaly, causes flattening on one side of the head and eye socket. If both sides are affected simultaneously, the head becomes flattened in the front-back plane, known as brachycephaly. Metopic synostosis, or trigonocephaly, results in a triangular appearance of the head with a pointed prominence in the middle of the forehead due to the closure of the metopic suture.

In syndromic synostosis, multiple sutures are involved and often occur in significant syndromes such as Apert and Crouzon syndromes. Facial development is also affected, and Apert syndrome is characterized by syndactyly (fused fingers).

How is Craniosynostosis Treated?

Experienced clinicians can identify the deformity in the early stages. Advanced imaging techniques, such as three-dimensional computed tomography, reveal the extent of the deformity.

Liv Hospital Pediatric Neurosurgery (Pediatric Brain and Nerve Surgery) Clinic surgeons treat craniosynostosis in two ways:

Open Surgical Intervention: In scaphocephaly, the midline bone structure is opened, allowing stretching to both sides. For other types, a unilateral or bilateral forehead and eye socket advancement and correction surgery are performed.

Closed Endoscopic Intervention and Helmet Usage: In infants up to three months old, smaller incisions are made to reopen the closed suture. However, continuous helmet use is required for several months afterward.