Abstract
A total of 515 infants and children from inpatient, outpatient, and mental retardation clinics were studied to correlate clinical features with the radiological presence of intrasutural or Wormian bones (WB), which are seen in osteogenesis imperfecta, cretinism, cleidocranial dysostosis and hydrocephalus. The four fold higher incidence of WB in the mentally retarded group than in the rest was significant (P=0.01). Ninety-one, or 17% showed WB in their skull roentogenograms. Of these, 96% had manifestations of CNS abnormalities, including 5 cases (6%) with minimal brain dysfunction and 82 (90%) with gross CNS disorders. Three of the remaining four cases had anomalies of other organ systems. The incidence of WB, was unrelated to sex or race, but its decrease with age (68% below 5 years, 24% between 5-10 years and 8% above 10 years) is probably related to closing of sutures. Demonstration of WB in young infants may be a sueful sign in early identification of CNS abnormalities.
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Pryles, C., Khan, A. WORMIAN BONES: RADIOLOGICAL WARNING OP ABNORMAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Pediatr Res 8, 463 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197404000-00741
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197404000-00741