A unique presentation of Crouzon-like syndrome: Complex craniosynostosis in the absence of genetic mutations or familial predisposition - A case report

Background

Crouzon syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by premature fusion of skull sutures during skull development, resulting in various craniofacial abnormalities and complex craniosynostosis is a condition in which more than one such sutures of the skull fuse prematurely.

Case Description

Herein, we present a case of a 5-year-old male diagnosed with Crouzon-like syndrome and complex craniosynostosis involving multiple cranial sutures, including metopic, sagittal, coronal (right and left), and lambdoid sutures, and without any identifiable mutations on karyotyping. The patient underwent successful surgical intervention with a satisfactory outcome, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and intervention to prevent or minimize associated neurological manifestations and craniofacial abnormalities.

Conclusion

Our case report underscores the involvement of multiple cranial sutures in complex craniosynostosis and the absence of identifiable mutations or family history of similar craniofacial abnormalities, providing important insights into the diagnosis and management of this condition.

Syndromic Craniosynostosis: Cranial Vault Expansion in Infancy

Syndromic craniosynostosis (CS) represents a relatively uncommon disease process that poses significant reconstructive challenges for the craniofacial surgeon. Although there is considerable overlap in clinical features associated with various forms of syndromic CS, key extracranial features and close examination of the extremities help to distinguish the subtypes. While Virchow's law can easily guide the diagnosis of single suture, nonsyndromic CS, syndromic CS traditionally results in atypical presentations inherent to multiple suture fusion. Coronal ring involvement in isolation or associated with additional suture fusion is the most common pattern in syndromic CS often resulting in turribrachycephaly.

Venous anomalies in hypoplastic posterior fossa: unsolved questions

INTRODUCTION

Anomalous intracranial venous anatomy is described in patients with syndromic craniosynostosis and is of significant importance when it comes to surgical morbidity. However, it is still controversial its origin, type of circulation in each syndrome, how it behaves over time, when it can be interrupted and wether it needs to be studied. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues by reviewing the literature.

METHODS

A literature search was performed using the PubMed database with a focus on papers including detailed descriptions of the venous outflow in complex and syndromic craniosynostosis. Search details used were the following: ("veins"[MeSH Terms] OR "veins"[All Fields] OR "venous"[All Fields]) AND ("abnormalities"[Subheading] OR "abnormalities"[All Fields] OR "anomalies"[All Fields]) AND syndromic[All Fields] AND ("craniosynostoses" [MeSH Terms] OR "craniosynostoses"[All Fields] OR "craniosynostosis"[All Fields]). Studies that exposed details of venous anomalies found in syndromic or complex craniosynostosis were selected.

RESULTS

Of a total of 211 articles found, 11 were selected for this review. Of these, 5 were case reports, 5 retrospective studies, and only 1 prospective study. From the 6 series of cases presented, 5 discussed the relationship between jugular foramen stenosis (JFS) and collateral venous drainage. The authors discuss data from the literature for each leading question presented: 1-collateral circulation: is it an intrinsic trouble, a consequence of stenosis of the cranial base foramina or related to raised intracranial pressure (ICP)?; 2-what venous anomalies should we search for, and what is the best exam to study them?; 3-collateral circulation changes with time?; 4-can neurosurgeons interrupt the collateral circulation?; 5-should we study all complex types of craniosynostosis?

CONCLUSION

The importance of the study of the venous outflow in patients with complex craniosynostosis is evident in the literature. The real relationship between intracranial hypertension, hypoplastic skull base foramen, Chiari I malformation, hydrocephalus, and venous collateral circulation remains unknown. Prospective studies focusing on molecular biology analysis will possibly solve all of these leading questions.

The growth of the posterior cranial fossa in FGFR2-induced faciocraniosynostosis: A review

BACKGROUND

The growth of the posterior fossa in syndromic craniostenosis was studied in many papers. However, few studies described the pathophysiological growth mechanisms in non-operated infants with fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) type 2 mutation (Crouzon, Apert or Pfeiffer syndrome), although these are essential to understanding cranial vault expansion and hydrocephalus treatment in these syndromes.

OBJECTIVE

A review of the medical literature was performed, to understand the physiological and pathological growth mechanisms of the posterior fossa in normal infants and infants with craniostenosis related to FGFR2 mutation.

DISCUSSION

Of the various techniques for measuring posterior fossa volume, direct slice-by-slice contouring is the most precise and sensitive. Posterior fossa growth follows a bi-phasic pattern due to opening of the petro-occipital, occipitomastoidal and spheno-occipital sutures. Some studies reported smaller posterior fossae in syndromic craniostenosis, whereas direct contouring studies reported no difference between normal and craniostenotic patients. In Crouzon syndrome, synchondrosis fusion occurs earlier than in normal subjects, and follows a precise pattern. This premature fusion in Crouzon syndrome leads to a stenotic foramen magnum and facial retrusion.

Hydrocephalus and Chiari malformation pathophysiology in FGFR2-related faciocraniosynostosis: A review

BACKGROUND

Patients with syndromic faciocraniosynostosis due to the mutation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 2 gene present premature fusion of the coronal sutures and of the cranial base synchondrosis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation disorders and cerebellar tonsil prolapse are frequent findings in faciocraniosynostosis.

OBJECTIVE

We reviewed the medical literature on the pathophysiological mechanisms of CSF disorders such as hydrocephalus and of cerebellar tonsil prolapse in FGFR2-related faciocraniosynostosis.

DISCUSSION

Different pathophysiological theories have been proposed, but none elucidated all the symptoms present in Apert, Crouzon and Pfeiffer syndromes. The first theory that addressed CSF circulation disruption was the constrictive theory (cephalocranial disproportion): cerebellum and brain stem are constricted by the small volume of the posterior fossa. The second theory proposed venous hyperpressure due to jugular foramens stenosis. The most recent theory proposed a pressure differential between CSF in the posterior fossa and in the vertebral canal, due to foramen magnum stenosis.