Cranioplasty for midline metopic suture defects in adults with cleidocranial dysplasia

ObjectivePatients with cleidocranial dysplasia often express concerns related to their perception of an undesirable esthetic appearance of their forehead and skull because of a combination of the persistence of metopic suture defects and frontal bossing. This case series reviews the use of a cranioplasty technique that has been developed to address such concerns.Study designA series of 7 adult patients with cleidocranial dysplasia were treated using a cranioplasty technique to correct visible metopic suture defects in the forehead region. The patients were 4 males and 3 females with a mean age of 29.0 years. All 7 patients underwent identical cranioplasty procedures.ResultsThe metopic suture cranial defects were found to range in size from 0.6 to 2.4 cm in diameter and were present as full-thickness osseous defects in 4 of the 7 patients. All postoperative complications resolved spontaneously. Inpatient admission times ranged from 1 to 3 days. Follow-up ranged from 9 to 48 months with satisfactory subjective esthetic outcomes. The patients were content in all cases.ConclusionThis cranioplasty procedure successfully addresses the specific esthetic concerns of a rare and unique group of individuals. The procedure can be offered to cleidocranial dysplasia patients as part of their overall comprehensive craniomaxillofacial management.