Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Weerakkody Y, Bell D, Rasuli B, et al. Macrocephaly. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 24 Sep 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-9170
Macrocephaly is a clinical and radiological term that refers to a generalized increase in the size of the cranial vault.
This slightly differs from the term megalencephaly which means an increase in the size of the brain parenchyma.
In some individuals a large head is normal or something that is familial.
However in others it is related to a syndrome, and other features may be present, see long list of causes below.
Etiology
In an infant it can result from a wide range of causes:
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Some define the condition on skull radiography when the head circumference is more than two standard deviations above the mean or exceeds the 97th percentile by at least 5 mm 4-7.
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- 2. Dighe M, Fligner C, Cheng E et-al. Fetal skeletal dysplasia: an approach to diagnosis with illustrative cases. Radiographics. 28 (4): 1061-77. doi:10.1148/rg.284075122 - Pubmed citation
- 3. Michel SJ, Given CA. Case 99: Canavan disease. Radiology. 2006;241 (1): 310-4. doi:10.1148/radiol.2411040165 - Pubmed citation
- 4. Glass RB, Fernbach SK, Norton KI et-al. The infant skull: a vault of information. Radiographics. 24 (2): 507-22. doi:10.1148/rg.242035105 - Pubmed citation
- 5. Seal A. Fifteen-minute consultation on the infant with a large head. (2013) Archives of disease in childhood. Education and practice edition. 98 (4): 122-5. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2013-303910 - Pubmed
- 6. Huang J, Sarma A, Little S, Pruthi S. Systematic Approach to Pediatric Macrocephaly. Radiographics. 2023;43(5):e220159. doi:10.1148/rg.220159 - Pubmed
- 7. Orrù E, Calloni S, Tekes A, Huisman T, Soares B. The Child With Macrocephaly: Differential Diagnosis and Neuroimaging Findings. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2018;210(4):848-59. doi:10.2214/ajr.17.18693 - Pubmed
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