Spring-assisted cranioplasty (SAS) has been used for the treatment of selected cases of sagittal synostosis at our unit routinely since 1998. In order to assess the long-term outcomes of this procedure, we compared the clinical data and morbidity with the pi-plasty technique, our previous standard procedure for the treatment of such children. The first 20 consecutive patients who underwent SAS for isolated sagittal synostosis with complete records, and who were 3 years old at the time of this study, were included. Twenty patients with a pi-plasty performed in the period immediately preceding the spring group acted as a control group. Cephalograms (preoperative, 1-year and 3-year), clinical examination, medical record data, medical photography, and a questionnaire (spring-group only) were used to evaluate and compare these two groups. The mean age of the spring group was 3.5 months (2.5-5.5) and the pi-plasty group 7.1 months (4-15.5) of age at surgery. There were no deaths in either group. There was a higher rate of complications in the pi-plasty group. The skull morphology was similar preoperatively in both groups but slightly different at the 3-year follow-up. The mean cephalic index (CI) in the spring group was 72 at 1 year of age and 71 at 3 years of age, indicating a minor relapse. The pi-plasty group had a mean CI of 73 at 3 years of age. The length was the same in both groups however the pi-plasty group had a lower height (mean 2 mm) and wider biparietal distance (mean 5 mm). All parents of the spring group were highly satisfied with the aesthetic results achieved, would undergo the operation again, and would recommend it to others with scaphocephaly. It was concluded that the two groups of surgery resulted in a quite similar morphologic outcome. The pi-plasty group had a cephalic index marginally closer to the normal range at 3 years of age. The spring group was superior with respect to blood loss, transfusion requirements, operative time, ICU time, recovery time, and total hospital stay.
The Saethre-Chotzen syndrome is an autosomal, dominantly inherited craniosynostosis caused by mutations in the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor gene TWIST1. This syndrome has hitherto not been associated with an increased risk of cancer. However, recent studies, using a murine breast tumor model, have shown that Twist may act as a key regulator of metastasis and that the gene is overexpressed in subsets of sporadic human breast cancers. Here, we report a novel association between the Saethre-Chotzen syndrome and breast cancer. In 15 Swedish Saethre-Chotzen families, 15 of 29 (52%) women carriers over the age of 25 had developed breast cancer. At least four patients developed breast cancer before 40 years of age, and five between 40 and 50 years of age. The observed cases with breast cancer (n = 15) are significantly higher than expected (n = 0.89), which gives a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 16.80 (95% CI 1.54-32.06). Our finding of a high frequency of breast cancer in women with the Saethre-Chotzen syndrome identifies breast cancer as an important and previously unrecognized symptom characteristic of this syndrome. The results strongly suggest that women carriers of this syndrome would benefit from genetic counseling and enrolment in surveillance programs including yearly mammography. Our results also indicate that the TWIST1 gene may be a novel breast cancer susceptibility gene. Additional studies are, however, necessary to reveal the mechanism by which TWIST1 may predispose to early onset breast cancer in Saethre-Chotzen patients.
Application of a spring across a midline cranial suture alters the growth vector of the normal adjacent sutures. The spring greatly increases cranial width at the expense of some of the normal increase in cranial length over this period. This would be beneficial in correcting the cranial index in sagittal synostosis.
The degree of spring force required to effectively expand the cranium may cause bone erosion in some individuals. This degree of spring erosion was of minimal clinical significance in this animal model.
The craniofacial structures are mechanically complex and modify the uniform expansion curve expected as the spring force decays. Significant force is maintained within the spring at the completion of cranial expansion. This may have implications for possible relapse if the springs are removed early.
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