Mild trigonocephaly associated with microcephaly: surgical outcomes for 15 cases

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Pediatric Neurology
• Craniofacial Surgery

Background:

• Mild trigonocephaly with microcephaly presents surgical challenges, particularly regarding increased intracranial pressure (ICP).
• Deciding on surgical intervention for these patients requires careful consideration of neuroradiological findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report surgical outcomes for patients with mild trigonocephaly and microcephaly.
• To evaluate the efficacy of decompressive cranioplasty in this specific patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• Surgical treatment involving decompressive cranioplasty was performed on 15 infants (10 girls, 5 boys) diagnosed with mild trigonocephaly and microcephaly.
• Pre-surgical evaluations included 3D-CT, MRI, and ICP measurement.
• Patients presented with symptoms including short stature, mental retardation, language delay, hyperactivity, motor dysfunction, and head banging.

Main Results:

• 13 out of 15 patients exhibited increased ICP.
• Post-surgery, 6 patients showed head circumference enlargement.
• While intelligence deficits remained, all patients demonstrated improvement in at least one other symptom.

Conclusions:

• Decompressive cranioplasty is suggested for mild trigonocephaly with microcephaly when high ICP and normal MRI findings are present.
• Surgical intervention can lead to positive outcomes in head circumference and symptom improvement.