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Updated: Apr 23, 2026
State of the Art Cranial Ultrasound Imaging in Neonates
Published on: February 2, 2015
A new ultrasound method for assessment of head shape change in infants with plagiocephaly
Jin Kyung Kim1, Dong Rak Kwon1, Gi-Young Park1
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
Insights
Ultrasound measurement of the occipital angle ratio (OAR) correlates with calliper-measured cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI) in infants with deformational plagiocephaly (DP). This new method offers a better understanding of cranial bone characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric imaging
- Craniofacial abnormalities
- Diagnostic techniques
Background:
- Deformational plagiocephaly (DP) is a common condition in infants.
- Accurate measurement of cranial asymmetry is crucial for diagnosis and management.
- Current methods like calliper cephalometry have limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare a novel ultrasound measurement technique with traditional calliper cephalometry for assessing DP.
- To evaluate the performance of both methods across varying severities of DP.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-two infants with DP were categorized into two groups based on cranial vault asymmetry (CVA) severity.
- Cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI) was measured using callipers.
- Occipital angle ratio (OAR) was measured using ultrasound, assessing the angle between lambdoid suture lines.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed significantly greater occipital angles on affected sides.
- Group 1 (CVA > 10 mm) had significantly higher CVAI and OAR than Group 2 (CVA < 10 mm).
- A strong positive correlation was observed between OAR and CVAI (r=0.789).
Conclusions:
- Ultrasound-derived OAR is a reliable indicator positively correlated with calliper-derived CVAI in infants with DP.
- Combining ultrasound occipital angle measurement with cephalometry enhances understanding of the cranial bone and lambdoid suture complex in DP.
Objective:
To compare a new ultrasound measurement method with calliper cephalometry in infants with deformational plagiocephaly (DP) and to assess the differences of two methods according to the severity of DP.
Methods:
Fifty-two infants with DP were divided into two groups according to the degree of cranial vault asymmetry (CVA); group 1 included 42 infants with CVA over 10 mm, and group 2 included 10 infants with CVA under 10 mm. Cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI) and occipital angle ratio (OAR) were measured by using calliper and ultrasound measurements, respectively. The occipital angle was defined as the angle between the lines projected along the lambdoid sutures of the skull.
Results:
The occipital angles of the affected sides were significantly greater than those of unaffected sides in both groups. The CVAI and OAR were significantly greater in group 1 than in group 2 (CVAI, 9.3%±2.3% vs. 4.6%±1.5%; OAR, 1.05±0.4 vs. 1.01±0.0; p<0.05). The OAR was positively correlated with the CVAI in all infants (r=0.789) and in group 1 (r=0.784; p<0.05).
Conclusion:
Our study revealed that OAR using the new ultrasound measurement was positively correlated with the CVAI in infants with DP. Therefore, the occipital angle measurement using ultrasound combined with cephalometry could provide better understanding about the characteristics of the overall cranial bone and lambdoid suture complex in infants with DP.
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