Scaphocephaly part II: Secondary coronal synostosis after scaphocephalic surgical correction.
OBJECTIVE
Occurrence of secondary coronal synostosis (SCS) and its functional consequences were retrospectively analyzed in sagittal synostosis.


METHODS
Occurrence of SCS and/or fingerprinting and clinical signs of raised intracranial pressure were investigated in children with scaphocephaly with a minimum follow-up of 3 years. Children were divided in 4 groups according to surgery (group 1: "H" craniectomy [193 patients]; group 2: craniectomies with removal of the coronal sutures [24 children]; group 3:"H" craniectomies and flap transpositions without total removal of the coronal suture [36 patients]; and group 4: 253 nonsurgical patients with scaphocephaly).


RESULTS
Among group 1, 20 (10.4%) developed SCS (3 mo to 6 y postoperatively). Fingerprinting was generalized in 13 patients, localized in 5, and absent in 2. Headaches were present in 8 patients. Papilledema appeared during follow-up in 2 of them. Intracranial pressure that was first recorded as normal became elevated, and they both required a surgical decompression. In group 2, none developed an SCS. In group 3, 11% developed SCS. In group 4, 1.2% nonsurgical patients with scaphocephaly presented with an SCS. However, group 4 corresponds to less severe morphologic deformation and/or parents refusing surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Secondary coronal synostosis appears to occur with an approximate 10% incidence after craniectomies not involving the coronal sutures, with 1% requiring surgical decompression. Patients with milder forms of scaphocephaly who were not operated on (1.2%) rarely developed an SCS. Long-term follow-up should be undertaken even in the milder forms for possible recurrence of secondary synostosis.
Arnaud
Eric
E
Necker Craniofacial Unit, French National Referral Center for Faciocraniosynostosis, Paris, France.
Capon-Degardin
Nathalie
N
Michienzi
Joseph
J
Di Rocco
Federico
F
Renier
Dominique
D
D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003393:Cranial Sutures / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000601:surgery*; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D008297:Male; D010211:Papilledema / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome