Craniosynostosis: Report of cases on dry skulls and review of etiology, normal growth of skull vault and anatomical basis of its variations

Abstract

Craniosynostosis involves premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures and can result in various anomalies of soft tissues and bones of the cranium. Asymmetry of the skull shape is called plagiocephaly which can be deformational and synostotic.  Craniosynostosis is an isolated rare congenital anomaly which can pose challenge in palaeopathological research due to lack of reference material. Craniosynostosis if left untreated can result on morphological defects leading to impaired brain development and neurological damage. Methods: 50 dry skulls were studied for any synostosis and abnormal shape of which 31 are males and 19 are females in the osteological collection of department of anatomy, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore and Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangalore. All the skulls were in good state without mandible. Origin and chronology of the skull was unknown. Results: We report 2 cases of partial and complete craniosynostosis and associated cranial malformations. Complete synostosis of single or multiple suture was observed in 2 skulls. One skull was scaphocephalic with absence of sagittal suture and other case was of pancraniosynostosis with complete absence of all the sutures of cranial vault. Conclusion: Incidence of craniosynostosis in skull in historic population has not been estimated. Cases presented here is the rare findings related to palaeopathological material and provides new set of data for cranial and facial morphology