cleidocranial dysostosis /klī′dōkrā″nē·əl/ [Gk, kleis, key, kranion, skull, dys, bad, osteon, bone] , a rare abnormal hereditary condition characterized by defective ossification of the cranial bones and by the complete or partial absence of the clavicles. It is transmitted as an autosomal-dominant trait. The defective ossification of the cranial bones delays the closing of the cranial sutures and produces large fontanels. The complete or partial absence of the clavicles allows the shoulders to be drawn together. This condition also involves dental and vertebral anomalies. Also called cleidocranial dysplasia, dystrophia. See also dysostosis.
