Computer tomography-based quantitative analysis of the orbital proptosis severity in infants with syndromic craniosynostosis: case-control study

Purpose Evaluation of orbital proptosis and sutural synostosis pattern along the coronal ring in craniofaciosynostosis patients with or without fibroblastic growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) mutation. Methods High-resolution computer tomography was used to assess, in children with or without FGFR2 mutation, the early synostotic involvement of the "major" and "minor" sutures/synchondroses of the coronal arch along with the following orbital parameters: interorbital angle, bone orbital cavity volume, globe volume, ventral globe volume, ventral globe index. Results Infants with FGFR2 mutation showed an increased number of closed minor sutures/synchondroses along the posterior coronal branch while both groups showed a comparable synostotic involvement of the minor sutures of the anterior coronal branch. FGFR2 infants with posterior coronal branch synostotic involvement showed a higher degree of proptosis due to both reduced bony cavity volume and increased globe volume (p Conclusions Our data show that FGFR2 mutation together with posterior coronal branch synostotic involvement has a synergic effect in causing a more severe degree of orbital proptosis.