Long-term 3D CT follow-up after endoscopic sagittal craniosynostosis repair

Surgical treatment of sagittal synostosis involves various surgical modalities. Long-term follow-up issues include increased intracranial pressure, secondary sutural fusion, incomplete reossification, and suboptimal cosmetic appearance. The authors' objective in this study was to review their long-term endoscopic surgical results in children with sagittal synostosis using 3D CT.

The authors reviewed the long-term results of their first 38 patients who underwent endoscopic sagittal synostosis repair at age 16 weeks or younger. A standard vertex craniectomy with biparietal wedges was done in each case. After surgery, the children were fitted with a helmet, which they wore until 8 months of age. Patients were followed up for 5 years or longer, at which point a 3D CT scan was obtained. The authors examined data on the cranial index, area of bony defect, presence or absence of secondary sutural fusion, neosuture formation, and scalloping of the inner table of the skull.

Thirty-two of 38 children met inclusion criteria. There was a small but significant recession of the cranial index after the completion of helmeting (from 0.772 after completion of helmeting to 0.755 at 5 years). Of 32 children, 14 had a bony defect area > 4 cm2. Three children had secondary sutural fusion (two unilateral coronal, one bicoronal). Ten of 32 patients had partial neosuture formation.

The authors report their experience with 32 of their first 38 children who underwent endoscopic sagittal synostosis repair at 16 weeks of age or younger. With a minimum duration of 5 years, this is the longest clinicoradiological follow-up utilizing 3D CT to date in children with sagittal synostosis treated with endoscopic surgery. The authors report detailed measurements of bony loss, adjacent sutural fusion, and neosuture formation.