Types of Craniosynostosis We Treat

Sagittal synostosis is the most common single suture synostosis. It mainly affects males. The sagittal suture is on top of the head and runs from the soft spot to the back of the head. When this suture closes before it should, it can cause: 

• Long and narrow shaped head, known as scaphocephaly
• Noticeable, protruding forehead
• Pointed back of the head

Your baby’s head may look different depending on whether the suture closes entirely or only part of it closes. There’s a low risk of abnormal brain growth and development with this type of craniosynostosis.

Coronal synostosis can affect one or both sides of the forehead and frontal lobe. The condition is unicoronal synostosis when a single coronal suture closes too soon. With coronal synostosis, you may notice:

• Deviated (pointed away) nose
• Elevated and tilted eye socket
• Protruding eyes
• Recessed and flattened forehead
• Tilting head to prevent seeing double

Multisuture synostosis is a congenital condition that occurs when more than one suture (areas of adjacent bones) close too early. This rare condition is a type of craniosynostosis and can happen in more than 70 different ways.

The most common types of multisuture synostosis are syndromic, meaning there are abnormal formations around other organs, in addition to the combined sutures.

If untreated, multisuture synostosis can cause serious problems like:

• Abnormal head shape
• Pressure on the brain
• Delayed development or not meeting milestones

To treat multisuture synostosis, the child will need to be seen by a multidisciplinary team, which includes a:

• Nurse craniofacial coordinator
• Pediatric neurosurgeon
• Pediatric maxillofacial/craniofacial surgeon
• Orthodontist
• ENT surgeons
• Speech therapy specialist

For a minimally invasive procedure, surgery is done before 4-5 months of age.

In some cases, when children come to University Health after 7 months, a bigger surgery is required (vault reconstruction surgery).

Early diagnosis is key to benefit from a minimally invasive approach, which means shorter hospital stay and faster recovery.

With the minimally invasive surgery, a special helmet is used to help shape the baby’s head.

Metopic synostosis affects the middle suture at the front of a baby’s forehead that separates the frontal bones. When this suture closes early, it can restrict normal forehead and brain growth.

It can cause:

• Narrow forehead and triangular appearance of the skull 
• Smaller space between the eyes
• Upward bump or midline ridge on the forehead
• Wide back of the skull due to the brain growing in that direction

Lambdoidal synostosis is the least common type of craniosynostosis. The lambdoid suture runs along the backside of your baby’s head. If it closes too early, it can cause:

• Bulge behind the ear on the affected side
• Flattening of the back of the head on one side
• Lower-positioned ear on the affected side 
• Sideways tilted skull