Morphometric analysis of the structures of the skull according to computed tomography data in children in norm and in dolichocephaly

Abstract

There is an increased interest in the problem of helping children with skull deformities that occur due to premature closure of cranial sutures and the development of craniosynostosis. Assessment of cranial dysmorphism in skull deformities is often subjective and remains a challenge. Morphometric studies are a significant section that is poorly covered in modern scientific, practical and reference medical literature.Material and methods. The analysis of the data of craniometric measurements, of cephalic index (CI) according to the results of computed tomography in 24 children with dolichocephaly (14 boys, 10 girls) at the age of 7.4 ± 3.2 months (2–12 months) and in the control group of 25 children (15 boys, 9 girls) at the age of 7.2 ± 4.8 months (2–12 months).Results. The data showed significant differences in children in norm and in dolichocephaly. CI shows the ratio of the linear dimensions of the skull in normal and dolichocephaly. The most significant differences were revealed when assessing the distances G-Op, CG-TS, CG-MAI, MAI-MAI, Zg-Zg, Ec-Ec, Br-Ba. CG-TS, CG-MAI, MAI-MAI, Br-Ba reflect deformation of the skull base, and Zg-Zg, Ec-Ec – deformation of the facial skeleton in dolichocephaly.Conclusions. A comprehensive morphometric analysis of the skull structures based on precise anatomical landmarks demonstrated objective differences in the morphology of the skull in children with normal conditions and with dolichocephaly. The data indicate the importance of a comprehensive assessment of changes in the skull for all forms of the skull. Carrying out such an analysis is important for understanding all morphological changes in the skull in health and disease.

Keywords

• radiation diagnostics
• dolichocephaly
• craniosynostosis
• craniometry
• computed tomography