Chiari I Malformation and Basilar Invagination in Fibrous Dysplasia: Prevalence, Mechanisms, and Clinical Implications

Abstract

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a mosaic disorder of benign fibro-osseous lesions, which may be associated with extraskeletal features as part of McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS). Cranial base abnormalities, including Chiari I malformation (CM1), in which the cerebellum extends below the foramen magnum, and secondary basilar invagination (BI), in which the odontoid prolapses into the posterior cranial fossa, are potentially serious complications of metabolic bone disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, natural history, and risk factors for CM1 and BI in patients with FD/MAS, and to determine mechanisms of cranial base deformities. Clinical and radiographic data from subjects in an FD/MAS natural history study were evaluated and compared to normal controls. In 158 patients with craniofacial FD, 10 (6.3%) cases of CM1 and 12 (7.6%) cases of BI were diagnosed. No cranial base abnormalities were identified in 10 control subjects. Craniomorphometric and volumetric analyses identified cranial constriction and cranial settling as the primary mechanisms of cranial base abnormalities, whereas intracranial hypertension was a contributing factor in a minority of subjects. Longitudinal analyses found progression of odontoid position with age, but no progression of tonsillar position. No endocrinopathies were associated with CM1. MAS endocrinopathies associated with BI included hyperthyroidism (odds ratio [OR] 12.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9 to 55.6; p < 0.01), precocious puberty (OR 5.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 26.0; p < 0.05), and hypophosphatemia (OR 7.7; 95% CI, 1.9 to 27.0; p < 0.01). Scoliosis was associated with both CM1 (OR 4.8; 95% CI, 1.1 to 22.8; p < 0.05) and BI (OR = infinity; 95% CI, 4.7 to infinity; p < 0.01). This study successfully characterized cranial base abnormalities in FD/MAS and the pathophysiological connection between them. These findings support routine screening for cranial base abnormalities in patients with craniofacial FD, as well as aggressive management of contributory risk factors. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.