title: Ultrasound in the diagnosis of craniosynostosis.
abstract: Diagnosis of craniosynostosis is based on clinical aspects but may be difficult in some cases where characteristic features are missing and radiographic imaging is necessary. In this context near-field high-frequency ultrasound has been used to evaluate the sonographic characteristics of synostotic sutures and its potential confirming the correct diagnosis. Sutures of 26 infants, aged 2-7 months, were investigated by ultrasound (Siemens Elegra, 7.5 MHz linear scanner). Sonographic features of synostotic sutures were correlated to CT imaging and compared to the sonographic and histopathological findings of normal cranial sutures. Hyperechogenic bridging of sutures with or without ridging were the characteristic aspects of synostotic sutures. All 26 patients could be reliable diagnosed showing partial (n = 21) or total fusion (n = 5) of one or more sutures consisting with craniosynostosis. Length of synostosis was identified exactly by sonography and imaging found to enable a classification of ultrastructural details of bony and soft tissue next to the synostotic suture. Ultrasound is a less expensive, nonradiating and easy-to-handle tool ensuring the diagnosis of craniosynostosis. Sonography offers the potential to be a standard investigation for infants with head deformities suspecting a suture pathology and has been therefore integrated in our craniofacial outpatient clinic as a daily routine method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Hamburg, Germany. j.regelsberger@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Regelsberger
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delling
authors.forename: Knuth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Helmke
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsokos
authors.forename: Gertrude
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kammler
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kränzlein
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Westphal
mesh_terms: D003393:Cranial Sutures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005624:Frontal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009777:Occipital Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010294:Parietal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010521:Periosteum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography