Minerva Pediatrica 2019 Mar 21

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4946.19.05424-0

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Ultrasonography as first line imaging for the diagnosis of positional plagiocephaly: our experience and literature review

Fiammetta SERTORIO ^{1, 2} ✉, Mattia PACETTI ³, Simone SCHIAFFINO ², Francesca SECCI ³, Armando CAMA ³, Alessandro CONSALES ³, Gian Michele MAGNANO ¹

¹ Department of Radiology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy; ² Department of Radiology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; ³ Department of Neurosurgery, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy

BACKGROUND: In the last years, numerous studies evaluated different tools for the diagnosis of positional plagiocephaly (PP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate ultrasonography (US) as a first line screening test of lambdoid sutural patency in child with PP and to compare our results with the literature.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: All consecutive patients who referred to our Institute from January 2016 to October 2017 with the suspicion of PP, were included in the study and performed US examination of the lambdoid sutures. A 3-6 month clinical follow up was performed by a paediatric neurosurgeon or a paediatrician to confirm the diagnosis of PP.
RESULTS: Thirty-five children performed US examination and in all cases the diagnosis of PP was confirmed. No cases of anticipated suture fusion were examined during this period. The concordance between US findings and clinical exam follow-up was 100%.
CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonography of the lambdoid sutures represents an ideal first-line screening test and reliable alternative to other diagnostic techniques for lambdoid sutural patency in child with PP, being radiation free, fast and cheap.

KEY WORDS: Skull deformities - Craniofacial deformities - Plagiocephaly - Ultrasonography