Brachycephaly describes a deformity of the skull characterized by reduced sagittal dimension with a compensatory increase in transverse dimension. It belongs to the group of Craniosynostoses.
Pathophysiology
The morphological change results from premature, bilateral ossification of the Coronal suture. Premature closure of the suture restricts growth perpendicular to the suture. To compensate for increasing intracranial pressure, the skull expands in the directions in which the sutures are still open—in this case, primarily laterally and vertically.