title: Acalvaria.
abstract: Acalvaria is a rare congenital malformation characterized by an absence of skin and skull. The authors describe a newborn at an estimated 38 weeks gestational age who was delivered via cesarean section from a 32-year-old mother. Upon delivery, the child was noted to have a frontal encephalocele and an absence of calvaria including skull and skin overlying the brain. A thin membrane representing dura mater was overlying the cortical tissue. After multiple craniofacial operations, including repair of the encephalocele and application of cultured keratinocytes over the rostral defect, the patient demonstrated significant closure of the calvarial defect and was alive at an age of more than 17 months with near-average development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and.
authors.forename: Ammar H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Hawasli
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Beaumont
authors.forename: Timothy W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Albert S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Leonard
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000002:abnormalities; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012535:Scalp / Q000002:abnormalities*; D012886:Skull / Q000002:abnormalities*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: acalvaria; acrania; congenital malformation; spina bifida