Brachycephaly

Brachycephaly, also known as flat-head syndrome, is a type of cephalic disorder. This occurs when the coronal suture fuses prematurely, causing a shortened front-to-back diameter of the skull. The coronal suture is the fibrous joint that unites the frontal bone with the two parietal bones of the skull. The parietal bones form the top and sides of the skull. This feature can be seen in Down Syndrome.

Brachycephaly also describes a developmentally normal type of skull with a low cephalic index, such as in snub-nosed breeds of dog.

Brachycephaly refers to the condition where the head is disproportionately wide. Brachycephaly can result from the premature fusion of the coronal sutures (see craniosynostosis) or from external deformation (most commonly prolonged lying on the back -- a positional deformity). The head flattens uniformly, causing a much wider and shorter head. Increased head height is also common in children with brachycephaly.

See also

• Craniostenosis

External links

• 1295319074 at GPnotebook
• NINDS Overview
• FP Notebook