MACROCEPHALY IN INFANCY - US IMAGING

The sonograms of 71 infants evaluated for macrocephaly during the peri od from January 1986 to December 1992 were studied retrospectively. In the group of the 71 infants examinated, 43 had normal sonograms and 2 8 abnormal. Of the abnormal findings, 10 were significant: 3 patients with hydrocephalus with aqueductal stenosis, 2 patients with arachnoid cysts with moderate to marked hydrocephalus, 1 patient with brain tum or, 1 patient with emimegalencephaly, 3 patients with dysmyelinating d iseases. The other 18 patients with abnormal sonograms had common char acteristic findings: prominent widening of the subarachnoid space in t he frontal and frontoparietal regions and of the interhemispheric fiss ure with absent or mild ventriculomegaly (external hydrocephalus). Of these childen, only one had a associated disease (achondroplasia): in all the others sonographic findings of external hydrocephalus appear i diopathic. These infants continued to exhibit normal development durin g the follow-up period.