NORMAL CRANIAL SUTURES' WIDTH IN AN IRANIAN INFANT POPULATION

Abstract

Background: The newborn skull is normally comprised of seven bones. The anatomy of the pediatric skull is a challenge, and the stages of its evolution are not easily recalled by radiologists. This comes from the variable nature and changing appearances of sutures over the normal developmental period. We aimed to investigate radiographically normative ranges of cranial suture widths in a representative sample of Iranian infants. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a group of 302 high-resolution normal head CT scan of patients aged 0-12 months who had normal head contour and head circumference (Based on WHO growth chart) were reviewed. Results: There is negative correlation between cranial suture width and age. Moreover, a statistically significant difference was seen between suture widths (P<0.0001) and significant differences were seen among different age groups for all sutures. The average coronal and lambdoid sutures width were lower in women. There were no statistically significant difference between type of delivery and suture width (P>0.5) the average normal cranial sutures' width for sagittal, coronal, lambdoid, and metopic sutures were 2.38 +/- 1.04, 2.06 +/- 0.69, 2.29 +/- 0.65, and 1.78 +/- 0.88 mm, respectively. The average normal cranial suture widths for the sagittal, coronal, lambdoid, and metopic sutures were 2.38 +/- 1.04, 2.06 +/- 0.69, 2.29 +/- 0.65, and 1.78 +/- 0.88, respectively. Conclusion: This study provides reference values for suture widths established by CT scan among a sample of Iranian infant population.