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Macrocephaly diagnosed during well child visits
Pınar Yılmazbaş1,2, Gülbin Gökçay2, Tijen Eren2
1Pediatrics Department, Health Science University Okmeydani Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Macrocephaly (MC), a larger-than-average head circumference, was diagnosed in 0.9% of children during well-child visits. Most cases were familial, highlighting the importance of parental head measurements for diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Development
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Head circumference (HC) measurement is crucial for monitoring child growth.
- Limited research exists on macrocephaly (MC) characteristics identified during routine well-child visits.
- This study addresses the gap by examining children diagnosed with MC in a clinical setting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the characteristics of children diagnosed with macrocephaly (MC) during well-child visits.
- To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of MC in a pediatric population.
- To inform diagnostic approaches for macrocephaly in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive clinical study reviewed health records of children aged 0-3 years from 2004-2014.
- Included children diagnosed with macrocephaly (MC).
- Evaluated cranial ultrasonography, parental HC measurements, and biochemical tests for all MC cases.
Main Results:
- Macrocephaly (MC) was diagnosed in 90 out of 9,758 children (0.9%).
- The majority of affected children (63.3%) had familial MC.
- Hydrocephalus was noted in some cases, with two instances of delayed neuromotor development.
Conclusions:
- Macrocephaly (MC) is not uncommon in well-child unit populations.
- Evaluating parental head circumference (HC) and utilizing cranial ultrasonography are vital for differential diagnosis.
- Early identification and characterization of MC are important for appropriate management.
Background:
The measurement of head circumference (HC) provides valuable anthropometric data for a child's growth during well child visits. There are few studies on the characteristics of macrocephaly (MC) diagnosed during well child visits. The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of children with MC diagnosed during the well-child visits.
Methods:
This descriptive clinical study was carried out in the well child unit of a medical faculty hospital. The health records of all children who were followed up between 2004 and 2014 were reviewed. The records of children with the diagnosis of MC were evaluated. All children with MC had cranial ultrasonography, measurement of parental HC, and biochemistry. The HC measurements were carried out until 3 years of age in the unit.
Results:
Ninety of 9,758 children (0.9%) had the diagnosis of MC. Of these children, 61% were male. Mean age at diagnosis was 2.7 months. The majority of children (63.3%) had familial MC. The other leading findings were isolated MC and hydrocephalus: two of eight children with hydrocephalus had delayed neuromotor development.
Conclusion:
MC was not rare in the present well child unit population. The evaluation of parental HC and cranial ultrasonography might be important for the differential diagnosis.
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