[Contribution to the problem of the persistent sutura frontalis and sutura mendosa (author's transl)]

Investigation of the cranial vaults of 336 adult autopsy cases from two continuous series, one from the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Cologne and the other from the Institute of Pathology of Heidelberg, revealed the incidence of an open sutura frontalis in 15 cases and an open sutura mendosa in one case. In the Cologne series the persistent sutura frontalis was found in 4.2 percent, in the Heidelberg series in 5.7 percent of the cases. A further analysis of the Cologne cases displayed a frequency of 8.6 percent suturae frontales in suicide cases as opposed to 2.5 percent in the compared cases. From two suicide cases of the Heidelberg series, 1 showed an open sutura mendosa together with an os incae bipartitum; the other revealed several suture bones accompanied by accessorial suture courses of the sutura lambdoidea. The differences in open-suture incidence between suicide cases and the others was significant by the X2-test. The small sample size, however, is inconclusive and another controlled observation of a larger sample is necessary. The possible mechanims for delayed suture closure and its relation to suicide are discussed.