Syndromic Craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis occurring in conjunction with other genetic anomalies is classified as syndromic craniosynostosis. Syndromes commonly associated with craniosynostosis include Apert, Crouzon, Saethre-Chotzen, Pfeiffer, and Muenke syndromes. These syndromes share common features along with craniosynostosis which lead to certain functional ramifications that must be dealt with in a systematic manner. These patients are usually more complicated than the nonsyndromic craniosynostosis patients and require a multidisciplinary team to take care of their needs. Surgical management of syndromic craniosynostosis patients is complex and must be tailored to each patient’s skeletal deformity and functional requirement. Regardless of the surgical technique and timing of operative management, the goals are directed toward restoring the patient’s airway, increasing the intracranial volume to reduce the risk of increased intracranial pressure, restoring orbital volume, addressing the feeding difficulty, malocclusion, and overall esthetic outcome.