craniostenosis /krā′nē·ō′stənō″sis/ [Gk, kranion + stenos, narrow, osis, condition] , a congenital deformity of the skull that results from premature closure of the sutures between the cranial bones. The severity of the malformation depends on which sutures close, the point in the developmental process where the closure occurred, and the success or failure of the other sutures to compensate by expansion. Impaired brain growth may or may not be involved. The most common form of the condition is permanent closure of the sagittal suture with anteroposterior elongation of the skull. Surgery is generally indicated when multiple sutures are fused to relieve cerebral pressure and may be performed for cosmetic reasons. See also brachycephaly, oxycephaly, plagiocephaly, scaphocephaly. −craniostenotic, adj.
