[A neonate without claviculae]

A 1-week-old girl, term born after a non-complicated parturition, presented with abnormal clavicles. At physical examination small and short clavicles were seen, as well as a widened anterior and posterior fontanelle. An X-ray of the thorax showed hypoplastic clavicles and an X-ray of the skull showed delayed ossification of the bones, hypoplasia of the maxilla and extra teeth. This led to the diagnosis 'cleidocranial dysplasia'.

Two holes syndrome (THS) is present in more than half of the postnasal drip patients?

CONCLUSION

Posterior fontanelle defects were found in almost half of the patients with postnasal drip and in a negligible number in the cohort of healthy subjects.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of fontanelle defects in patients with postnasal drip and in healthy subjects.

MATERIALS

A total of 723 outpatients suffering from postnasal drip as a leading symptom were examined during the last 10 years by means of nasal fiberendoscopy. The authors were searching for defects in the posterior fontanelle region and recirculating mucus. The control group consisted of 312 healthy volunteers with no history of postnasal drip.

RESULTS

The defect in the posterior fontanelle was found in 414 of 723 patients with postnasal drip (57.3%). It was bilateral in 238 of 414 cases (57.5%). The defect in the anterior fontanelle was not found in this cohort at all. The recirculating mucus ring was clearly identified in 107 of 414 patients (25.8%). The defect in the posterior fontanelle was found in only 7 of 312 healthy volunteers (2.2%) (p < 0.01).

Normal and abnormal development of the fetal anterior fontanelle: a three-dimensional ultrasound study

OBJECTIVES

To describe the methodology for correct visualization of the anterior fontanelle using three-dimensional ultrasound, to report its normal development during gestation, and to compare this with abnormal development.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional prospective evaluation of development of the anterior fontanelle in a series of 78 normal fetuses and 47 fetuses with congenital anomalies between 12 and 38 weeks of gestation. The anterior fontanelle was visualized in a mid-sagittal view of the fetal head, preferably with a pocket of fluid between the fetal head and the uterine wall, to ensure an optimal acoustic window. Visualization using volume contrast imaging mode in the coronal plane (VCI-C) was preferred to static acquisition of three-dimensional (3D) volumes, as the former allows real-time evaluation of the 3D image. Anteroposterior and laterolateral diameters, perimeter and area of the fontanelle were measured offline, with the diameters normalized for biparietal diameter and the perimeter and area normalized for head circumference. The variables were then regressed against gestational age.

RESULTS

The best fitting regression model to describe the relationships between the fontanelle anteroposterior diameter and area and gestational age was a quadratic one, whereas a simple linear model fitted all remaining variables. All variables showed a positive or biphasic correlation with advancing gestational age, but a negative one after normalization for biparietal diameter or head circumference. Twenty of the 47 fetuses with abnormalities had abnormal (18 enlarged and two reduced) fontanelle dimensions, particularly those with chromosomal or non-chromosomal syndromes, primary or secondary cardiac overload, primary skeletal dysplasias or central nervous system malformations. Hydrops was not associated with abnormal fontanelle dimensions.

CONCLUSIONS

We have described the methodology to obtain correct visualization of the fetal anterior fontanelle. The actual size of the fontanelle increases during gestation, while its size in relation to the volume of the fetal head diminishes, possibly due to the rapid development of the brain hemispheres and the consequent outward growth of the calvarial bones. The fact that enlarged fontanelle dimensions may be associated with certain fetal abnormalities may be employed advantageously in the differential diagnosis of some syndromic conditions in utero.