scaphocephaly

A form of craniosynostosis that results in a long, narrow head in which the parietal eminences are absent and frontal and occiptal protrusions are conspicuous; there may be a crest indicating the site of a prenatally closed sagittal suture; sometimes accompanied by mental retardation. SYN: cymbocephaly, sagittal synostosis, scaphocephalism, tectocephaly. [scapho- + G. kephale, head]

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scaph·o·ceph·a·ly .skaf-ə-'sef-ə-lē n, pl -lies a congenital deformity of the skull in which the vault is narrow, elongated, and boat-shaped because of premature ossification of the sagittal suture

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n.

an abnormally long and narrow skull due to premature closure of the suture between the two parietal bones, along the top of the skull.

• scaphocephalic adj.

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scapho·ceph·a·ly (skaf″o-sefґə-le) [scapho- + -cephaly] anteroposterior elongation of the skull, with bitemporal narrowing. Because it is usually caused by sagittal synostosis (premature closure of the sagittal suture), the two terms are often used synonymously. scaphocephalic, scaphocephalous adj

Scaphocephaly in a brain CT scan (A) and lateral radiograph (B).