Additional squamosal suture synostosis and segmented intracranial volume in patients with non-syndromic sagittal synostosis

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of squamosal suture synostosis (SQS) in children with non-syndromic sagittal synostosis and to evaluate whether the additional SQS affects the intracranial volume (ICV). METHODS: Thirty-four consecutive patients (23 boys) who had been operated by cranial vault remodelling because of sagittal synostosis were compared retrospectively from 3D-CT imaging data sets obtained from volumetric CT. The mean age of the patients at preoperative CT imaging was 0.48 (range 0.13–1.3) years. Mann-Whitney U test was used in the statistical analyses. RESULTS: Sagittal synostosis was combined with SQS in four children (11.7%) but the additional SQS did not affect the ICV. SQS was unilateral in all children, two were located on the right and two on the left side. The length of the SQS varied between 4 and 27 mm. The children with SQS had a shorter sagittal suture synostosis length ratio (length of synostosis / total sagittal suture length × 100) than those without SQS. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of SQS in non-syndromic sagittal synostosis was 11.7% but SQS did not affect the ICV.