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awisnia
09-07-2008, 04:18 PM
Hi,

I've been searching the web for info on mild metopic cases (my son has the metopic ridge, no official diagnosis yet). I found this site - at the bottom are links to full texts of 2 papers (abstracts below): http://www2.regalia.nir.jp/~graham/tri-e.html

Paper 1 Abstract


Introduction: It has been believed that isolated, mild trigonocephaly rarely presents with clinical symptoms.


Patients and methods: We diagnosed and operated on 65 patients with mild trigonocephaly and developmental delay up to July 2000. There were 47 boys and 18 girls in our series. All patients had symptoms such as delay in language development, hyperactivity, autistic tendencies, and motor dysfunctions. Their facial features were characterized by a metopic ridge, depressed temples, heel-shaped rather than keel-shaped forehead, and slight hypotelorism. The most important physical sign was the palpable metopic ridge. Most patients did not exhibit any symptoms until they were more than 1 year old. Fifteen patients showed regression in language acquisition and use. Three-dimensional computed tomography revealed the metopic ridge, depressed pterional regions, hypotelorism, and small anterior fossae. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on all patients and demonstrated no abnormal findings in the brain. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed on 83% of patients and revealed decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the frontal lobes of 76% of those patients. Decompressive cranioplasty of the frontal bone involving the skull base was performed on all patients.


Results: In most (61 out of 65) patients a degree of postoperative improvement in clinical symptoms was noted, especially in behavioral problems. Postoperative SPECT demonstrated increased CBF in the frontal lobes in 95% of the patients.

Conclusion: Based on these results, it can be postulated that mild trigonocephaly is frequently associated with developmental delays and that these symptoms can be improved to a certain degree by decompressive cranioplasty.


Paper 2 Abstract


Introduction: We report the surgical results in patients with mild trigonocephaly and clinical symptoms. Since high intracranial pressure (ICP) was noted during surgery in our previous patient series, we began to record intraoperative ICP. The importance of treating mild trigonocephaly with clinical symptoms is stressed.


Patients and methods: Fifty-six children (44 boys, 12 girls) in whom ICP was measured were diagnosed with mild trigonocephaly (nonsyndromic type) with symptoms such as language delay, hyperactivity, autistic tendencies, self-mutilation, motor delay, etc. Their ages ranged from 2 to 8 (mean 5.1) years. ICP was measured after a burr hole was made under endotracheal general anesthesia and a sensor was inserted in the right frontal lobe epidurally immediately in front of the right coronal suture. The first recordings were made at around 30 mmHg of PCO2 as for neuroanesthesia, and the second were at around 40 mmHg of PCO2 as during natural breathing. We also investigated which factors accounted for the improvement of clinical symptoms.

Results: The first ICP records at 29.1 mmHg of PCO2 indicated a mean ICP of 13.3 mmHg. The second changed to a mean 38.2 mmHg of PCO2 for an increased mean ICP of 19.8 mmHg. The pulse pressures were a mean 7.1 mmHg in the first recordings and 8.5 mmHg in the second. The mean ICP and pulse pressure were thus high in these children. Clinically, 30 out of 56 patients improved markedly and 22 improved slightly, while 4 did not exhibit any change. Factors

contributing to improvement were younger age, relatively higher development
quotient, marked digital impressions on skull X-rays, abnormal findings on SPECT, and moderate degree of trigonocephaly.


Conclusion: Although our patients had mild trigonocephaly, their ICP and pulse pressure were high. Decompressive cranioplasty in cases of mild trigonocephaly is feasible.

three.little.boys
09-07-2008, 04:50 PM
HI and thanks for adding this. These abstracts have been discussed several times here on CranioKids. Several surgeons here in the states (including some of our children's surgeons) have expredd concerns about this study. Dr. Fearon, our surgeon, feels that it does raise some interesting points but that perhaps the study was not carried out the right way (I hope I am remembering right...can anyone else chime in here?)

Anyway, thanks for posting them here...it is always good to re-post so that new members can see!

Mindy
09-07-2008, 05:43 PM
Hi! Yes, I've seen these studies and brought them up to our CFS and Dr. Fearon via email. They both stated that the research was done poorly and they didn't think the methods for testing ICP were reliable. If they did surgery on babies with palpable metopic ridges, then you would think they'd be operating on alot of people as many people form these ridges (some not being visible) as the suture closes. I have one, but I'd never know it if I didn't feel for it. Thanks for bringing these articles up. I remember when we were first starting this journey, after I read these articles, I was quite concerned especially b/c our CFS had just told us that Shane just had a metopic ridge and no trigono. I'd love to see what new research is being done on this and what the results have been.

awisnia
09-08-2008, 04:59 AM
Thanks, good to know the docotors opinion on this research - that site was one the of first I found when I started searched the web. Now I've just found a full text of an article about a study done here in Ireland on metopic cases: Behavioral, developmental, and educational problems in children with nonsyndromic trigonocephaly. Have you seen this one?

Here's abstract and link to full text:

http://thejns.org/doi/pdf/10.3171/ped.2006.105.5.382

OBJECT: The neurobehavioral morbidity of nonsyndromic trigonocephaly is incompletely understood. The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to assess the degree of developmental, educational, and behavioral problems in patients with nonsyndromic trigonocephaly and second, to establish whether patients with mild degrees of trigonocephaly had a lower frequency of such problems.
METHODS: The authors performed an observational study of the frequency of developmental, educational, and behavioral problems in 63 children with trigonocephaly at the National Craniofacial Centre in the Republic of Ireland between 1989 and 2004. The parents of the children completed a follow-up questionnaire. Thirty percent of patients had a mild form of trigonocephaly and were treated conservatively. The remainder underwent surgical correction. Speech and/or language delay was reported in 34% of the children. Thirty-three percent of the children needed to be assessed by a school psychologist, and 47% were receiving remedial or resource hours within the school system. Twenty percent of children required a special needs classroom assistant because of behavioral issues, and 37% of parents expressed concerns about their child's behavior. There were no statistically significant differences between children treated with surgery and those who had a mild deformity and were treated conservatively.
CONCLUSIONS: Nonsyndromic trigonocephaly is associated with a high frequency of developmental, educational, and behavioral problems. The frequency of these problems is not related to the severity of the trigonocephaly.

mckennasmum
09-08-2008, 06:14 AM
this sounds similiar to the study we are going to take part in here, but its looking at all cranio not just metopic! Although these results won't be known for a few years. We were told there is a increase chance of developmental delays and concentration problems in kids with metopic cranio but at the moment they can't say whether the kids would have been like that anyway without cranio problems! Its such a hard area to study!!

mrs j
09-08-2008, 06:58 AM
that is interesting, bradleys speech was very delayed prior to svrgery, im have to say i am kinda nervovs of what his nvrsery school will find, ya know if he is delayed in any other areas that i havent picked vp on yet, yovr right svsan, this is svch a difficvlt area to stvdy.

three.little.boys
09-08-2008, 09:20 AM
Ohhh...that is scary!! Does that mean that Q has such a high chance of having behaviorial and learning disabilities, or was that just for untreated trigon???

Mindy
09-08-2008, 12:03 PM
It seems that what this study is saying is that it makes no difference whether the subjects were surgically treated, the chances for these problems were higher anyway. That is what our CFS told us; that research hasn't shown that surgery will prevent the behavioural and learning delays. There just seems to be this correlation between metopic and these problems. That haven't figured out why yet.

momoftwo
09-08-2008, 01:41 PM
:yeahthat
That is what my understanding..now..is too. I emailed Dr. Fearon a couple of times last month about Logan. Her mild metopic cranio has progressed in the last few months and now she does have mild trigono. We are waiting to see how she continues to grow with it over the next few months. I exressed to him my concern with waiting and seeing..when we know that she has mild trigono now and we, her parents, don't want to put her at a higher risk to develop issues/problems later on. The response I received from him was that his center performed a study, currently in press, that examined how children grow after getting single suture cranio corrected. He said that they found that the children do not grow completely normally afterwards. So...I think that just having metopic cranio puts the kids at a higher risk for delays and issues. And that having surgery doesn't necessarily resolve any future issues in those areas. (Of course ICP is different.)

dannlark
09-08-2008, 01:42 PM
Well poopy... Now I'm worried that Ian really does have a language delay...sigh...still NO words at 13 1/2 months... Well, he LOOKS better at least... I'm going to have him accessed at 15 months if he's STILL not talking...

kking
09-08-2008, 03:37 PM
Larkin ~ hang in there. He may be working on other developmental targets right now (gross motor?)...

Austin had very limited speech at 22 mos (surgery). It all stopped at 12 mos. It took some time to come back after surgery. Its a great thing to be proactive. Extra help if he needs it is a great thing to help him catch up... if the time comes.

mckennasmum
09-08-2008, 06:14 PM
yeh, that's kind of my thinking if metopic is mild and no surgery, shouldn't that mean that maybe they are a bit slower than those who have surgery. Its such a grey area, who knows, I can't see them ever getting a definite answer. McKenna will be 1 next week and has about 5 words now and is constantly babbling away! So who knows!

awisnia
09-09-2008, 04:23 AM
I've just got an appointment to see CFS and he's one of the authors of the Irish study (Sept 22). I'll see what he tells me in person, and of course ask him if he doesn't mention it.

mrs j
09-09-2008, 04:43 AM
thats great news bovt the appointment, will be thinking of yov both on the 22nd, at least its not far away.xxxx

Tawnia
09-09-2008, 04:49 PM
Hmmm I read it as all the kids had the surgery...the ones who waited until they were having mild learning delays improved after surgery. It doesn't say any of the kids who had early surgery had delays that showed up later after surgery.