Title: An Exploration of the Practice of CT Modalities to Evaluate Anterior Cranial Deformities in Craniosynostosis
Abstract: Craniosynostosis is a condition of the premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures, which results in characteristic skull-shape deformities and facial asymmetry accompanied by varying functional consequences. In most forms of craniosynostosis, the anterior cranial fossa (ACF) is affected. The most common forms include scaphocephaly, trigonocephaly, anterior plagiocephaly (AP), and brachycephaly. Diagnostic imaging is necessary to assess and analyze accompanying skull deformities, intracranial pathology, and other complications in craniosynostoses. The analysis of the morphometric changes in the ACF is best elicited by computed tomography (CT) scans due to its superior bone depiction. To quantify and describe the extent to which the ACF is affected, one can measure the dimensions of the ACF and compare it to suitable normal/unaffected controls. In unilateral cases, the ACF dimensions can be compared to the non-synostotic side of the same patient. In order to get the most accurate and consistent assessment of the ACF, one needs to find fixed anatomical landmarks which are used as the basis of the morphometric analyses. Literature regarding the morphometry of the ACF in craniosynostoses is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the anterior cranial deformities in three types of craniosynostosis, viz. scaphocephaly, trigonocephaly, and AP, by analyzing the morphometry (length and width) of the ACF on 3D-CT scans. The findings of this study provide insight into the changes that occur within the ACF in patients with scaphocephaly, trigonocephaly, and AP. The measurements obtained can be used in the planning of surgical correction and in the postoperative analysis of surgical outcomes. All of the topics in this chapter represent novel approaches to the anatomical basis of ACF deformities in these rare craniosynostoses within the South African context.
Publication Year: 2023
Publication Date: 2023-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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