title: The role of cranial expansion for craniocephalic disproportion.
abstract: The appropriate treatment for craniocephalic disproportion, such as caused by slit ventricle syndrome, is uncertain. We have reviewed the treatment and outcomes of 4 children who underwent cranial expansion over a period of 5 years. The ages at cranial expansion were 16 months, 3 years 6 months and 2 at 6 years. Two children had slit ventricle syndrome and were treated with bilateral parietal expansions. Two children had non-syndromic craniosynostosis, one of these having vitamin D-resistant rickets. The latter 2 were treated with posterior cranial vault expansion, and one also had a craniocervical junction decompression performed. Post-operatively, symptoms of raised intracranial pressure resolved in all cases, and there was radiological evidence of re-establishment of normal CSF pathways. Although a rare condition, cranial expansion operations can be successful in appropriately selected cases of craniocephalic disproportion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gough
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Theile
authors.forename: Francis H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Tomlinson
mesh_terms: D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000601:surgery; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D008297:Male; D012886:Skull / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt