Relationship of a Metopic Ridge and Anterior Cranial Volume Measured by a Noninvasive Laser Shape Digitizer.

Cranial dysmorphology observed in patients with metopic craniosynostosis varies along a spectrum of severity including varying degrees of metopic ridging, bitemporal narrowing, and trigonocephaly. Management has been based upon the subjective clinical impression of presence and severity of trigonocephaly. Severity of cranial dysmorphology does not predict the occurrence or severity of associated abnormal neurodevelopment, as children with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly may also experience developmental delays. The authors sought to determine the relationship between mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly and anterior cranial volume using a noninvasive laser shape digitizer (STARscanner) in patients with abnormal head shape.An IRB-approved retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database and medical records was performed. Two hundred three patients less than 1 year of age with abnormal head shape were categorized as having a metopic ridge with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly, metopic ridge without trigonocephaly, or no ridge. Measurements of cranial volume, circumference, and symmetry were calculated by the STARscanner, which quantifies three-dimensional shape of the cranial surface. Measures were analyzed using a series of analyses of variance and post-hoc Tukey honest significant difference.The authors results showed ACV was significantly reduced in patients with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly compared with those without metopic ridge (P = 0.009), and trended toward significance compared with those with a ridge but without trigonocephaly (P = 0.072). The ratio of anterior-to-posterior cranial volume was significantly reduced in those with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly compared with those without metopic ridge (P = 0.036).In conclusion, patients with milder anterior cranial deformities demonstrated an association between a metopic ridge with mild-to-moderate trigonocephaly and reduced anterior cranial volume.

The Safety and Efficacy of Cryolipolysis: A Systematic Review of Available Literature.

BACKGROUND: In the past decade, the practice of body contouring using cryolipolysis has increased tremendously. While numerous anecdotal reports extol the efficacy of this product, the majority of these studies are small, retrospective case-series that lack control groups. OBJECTIVE: The authors aim to systematically review available literature to better illustrate the efficacy and safety of this new procedure. METHODS: A systematic literature review performed using MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane databases identified all published studies evaluating cryolipolysis for body contouring. RESULTS: A total of 34 articles up to February 2015 were identified. Nineteen articles matched the selection criteria and were included in the analysis. Sixteen were evaluated in the final analysis. A total of 1445 patients had reportable data for analysis of the safety profile. Twelve patients (0.82%) reported complications with the most common being diminished sensation lasting greater than 4 weeks. An aggregate total of 295 patients had objective data for evaluation of tissue reduction. The mean time from procedure to objective outcome evaluation was 3.83 months. The mean reduction of subcutaneous tissue was 19.55% with respect to a designated control site. CONCLUSIONS: Selective cryolipolysis appears, at short-term follow-up, to reliably decrease subcutaneous tissue deposits. Reported complications are uncommon and appear to resolve without intervention. Future studies should aim to optimize patient selection and treatment characteristics while obtaining long-term follow-up data.