Cranium Bifidum Occultum Associated with Hypertelorism Treated with Posterior Vault Reconstruction and Orbital Box Osteotomies: Case Report and Technical Note

World Neurosurg. 2017 Nov:107:40-46. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.05.032. Epub 2017 May 15.

Abstract

Cranium bifidum occultum is a disorder of skull ossification presenting as an enlarged posterior fontanelle in the upper posterior angle of the parietal bone near the intersection of the sagittal and lambdoid sutures. The standard treatment for cranium bifidum occultum is observation. We present a case of a 5-year-old boy who presented with a 15 × 4.5 cm midline posterior cranial vault defect consistent with diagnosis of cranium bifidum occultum associated with orbital hypertelorism and a widened nose. The patient underwent posterior vault reconstruction for correction of cranium bifidum occultum defect followed by bifrontal craniotomy and orbital box osteotomies for correction of orbital hypertelorism and nasal deformity. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case describing surgical treatment for cranium bifidum occultum associated with orbital hypertelorism.

Keywords: Cranium bifidum occultum; Enlarged parietal foramina; Hypertelorism; Orbital box osteotomies.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Child, Preschool
  • Craniotomy
  • Encephalocele / complications*
  • Encephalocele / diagnostic imaging
  • Encephalocele / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Hypertelorism / complications*
  • Hypertelorism / diagnostic imaging
  • Hypertelorism / surgery*
  • Male
  • Nose / abnormalities
  • Nose / diagnostic imaging
  • Nose / surgery
  • Orbit / diagnostic imaging
  • Orbit / surgery
  • Osteotomy*
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures*

Supplementary concepts

  • Parietal Foramina