Maxillary volume growth in craniosynostosis.

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Craniosynostosis, and in particular, craniofacial dysostosis, exhibits abnormalities of the nasomaxillary complex in form, position, and development. The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess the volumetric maxillary abnormality in patients at the time of initial diagnosis of craniosynostosis and to make comparisons with a "normal" reference range for maxillary volumes throughout childhood. The technique of segmentation was applied to preoperative computed tomographic head scans obtained in 31 children (14 boys, 17 girls), between 1 and 34 months of age (mean, 11.06 months), who underwent cranial expansion surgery for craniosynostosis affecting the coronal suture complex. Maxillary volumes were plotted against age for the first 3 years of life and were compared with a healthy population. There was no statistical difference between the two sexes for mean maxillary volume. The mean maxillary volumes for the entire group were statistically smaller than the norm (p = 0.046, linear regression with age as a covariable), but there was no statistical difference among the four different groups of coronal synostosis (unilateral coronal, nonsyndromic bilateral coronal, nonsyndromic complex pansynostosis, syndromic bilateral coronal synostosis) (p = 0.407, one-way analysis of variance). On graphic data analysis, the maxillary volume was smaller than the norm in craniosynostotic children who presented in the first few months of life. However, by 7 months of age in nonsyndromic bilateral coronal synostosis and by 17 months of age in syndromic bilateral coronal synostosis, the maxillary volumes had increased toward the norm. This implies that the effect of the craniosynostotic process on the midface structures is present from birth and parallels the effect on the cranial vault sutures.