Infantile Craniofacial Dysmorphism: Neurosurgical Aspects

Abstract

Craniofacial dysmorphism is a result of premature closure of the coronal sutures including the basal skull sutures. As a result of this early premature fusion the anterior fossa remains small and the face fails to grow forward. Corrective surgery which frees up the basal skull sutures early in infancy and ideally within the first few weeks of life allows the tremendous brain growth of the infant to move the forehead forward, expand the anterior fossa and thus move the attached face forward. Such early corrective surgery in the neonate obviates the need for definitive corrective craniofacial surgery in the older child or adult.