Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model
Published on: November 4, 2025
Visual field defects in deformational posterior plagiocephaly
R Michael Siatkowski1, Aaron C Fortney, Sayeda A Nazir
1University of Oklahoma Department of Ophthalmology, Oklahoma City 73190, USA. rmichael-siatkowski@dmei.org
Insights
Deformational posterior plagiocephaly can impact infant visual field development. However, skull deformity severity or side does not predict the extent of visual field defects.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
Background:
- Deformational posterior plagiocephaly is a common condition in infants.
- Potential effects on visual development are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate visual field abnormalities in infants with deformational posterior plagiocephaly.
- To assess the relationship between visual field defects and skull deformity characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 40 infants with deformational posterior plagiocephaly.
- Standardized binocular arc perimetry and 3D CT scans for skull assessment.
- Analysis of hemifield asymmetry and comparison with normative data.
Main Results:
- 35% of infants showed hemifield constriction (>/=20 degrees).
- 17.5% exhibited hemifield asymmetry (>/=20 degrees).
- Significant differences were found between patient visual fields and normative data (P=0.036).
Conclusions:
- Deformational posterior plagiocephaly may influence visual field development.
- Skull deformity laterality and severity do not predict visual field defect severity.
Purpose:
We sought to determine whether visual field abnormalities occur in infants with deformational posterior plagiocephaly and to assess whether there is a relationship between the severity and laterality of visual field abnormalities with the severity and laterality of skull deformity.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review was performed on 40 consecutive infants with deformational posterior plagiocephaly. Each was tested with standardized binocular arc perimetry in the horizontal plane. Sixteen patients also had 3-dimensional computed tomography of the skull. Hemifield asymmetry of >/=20 degrees and/or a decrease in hemifield values by >/=20 degrees from established normal patients was considered abnormal. Visual field data from study patients was plotted against previously published normative data. Graphs comparing visual field defects and laterality to cranial asymmetry also were generated.
Results:
Thirty-five percent of infants with deformational posterior plagiocephaly had constriction of one or both hemifields by at least 20 degrees from established normal patients. Hemifield asymmetry of 20 degrees or more was found in 17.5% of infants tested. There was a significant difference in the worse hemifield values measured in each patient and the standard visual fields obtained from normative data ( P = 0.036). There was no correlation between the laterality of the visual fields to the laterality of the defects. A correlation between severity of hemifield constriction and % asymmetry on computed tomography was noted ( P = 0.209).
Conclusions:
Deformational posterior plagiocephaly may affect visual field development but neither the laterality nor the severity of skull deformity is predictive of the severity of visual field defects.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
01:24Prosopagnosia
01:16Focusing of Light in the Eye