Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery

Patient Conditions

Craniofacial Deformities

Craniofacial deformities describe abnormalities of the face or skull. Some children are born with these deformities, while others acquire them through trauma or disease.

What Causes Craniofacial Deformities?

Researchers know that abnormal growth patterns of the face or skull involving soft tissue and bones are what lead to the deformities, but most of the time, the underlying cause of the disfigurement is unknown. Some of these growth patterns are genetic in nature, while others are brought about by environmental factors.

Types of Craniofacial Deformities

There are many different kinds of craniofacial deformities. One common type of deformity is called craniosynostosis. Craniosynostosis refers to a condition where the bones of the skull are fused together.

The skull bones fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The areas where the skull bones meet are called sutures. As babies grow, their brains increase in size rapidly and push on the bones of the skull, which then expand to make room. In the case of craniosynostosis, however, skull bone sutures fuse too early, which inhibits growth. This inability to grow in one area may lead to overgrowth in another area, resulting in an abnormally shaped skull.

When more than one set of skull bones sutures prematurely, the condition is called multi-suture craniosynostosis. Examples of multi-suture craniosynostosis include Apert syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, Pfieffer syndrome and Saethre-Chotzen syndrome.

As a result of these syndromes, children develop a wide range of abnormalities. These include wide-set, bulging eyes; protruding and receding jaws; webbed fingers and toes; misshapen foreheads; small, flattened or beaked noses, or droopy eyelids.

Other craniofacial conditions include:

Cleft and lip palate
Facial cleft
Facial palsy
Frontonasal dysplasia
Hemangioma
Miller syndrome
Pierre Robin syndrome

Treatments for Craniofacial Deformities

It is important to understand that treatment requires the expertise of specialized professionals from many different disciplines. It is impossible for any single physician to successfully evaluate and treat all of the abnormalities associated with craniofacial patients.

Why Come to the University of Maryland Medical Center for Treatment of Craniofacial Deformities?

We have a multidisciplinary team of professionals who care for craniofacial patients. This multidisciplinary team, which is directed by a neurosurgeon specializing in craniofacial deformities, includes surgeons, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, speech pathologists, psychologists, nurses, otolaryngologists, audiologists and social workers.

This page was last updated on: August 8, 2007.

For more information about the University of Maryland Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, or to make an appointment, call the University Physicians Consultation and Referral Service at 1-800-492-5538 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 (physicians).