TRANSCRANIAL DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY IN CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS

In the management of craniosynostosis, there is a need for quantitativ e assessment of treatment methods and outcome. Radiology and pressure studies are well documented, but so far little attention has been give n to cerebral blood flow changes and their possible relevance. This pa per reports our initial experience using transcranial Doppler sonograp hy to calculate the cerebrovascular resistance and cerebral blood velo cities in the major basal vessels before and after surgery for cranios ynostosis. Ten patients were studied using the Scimed 2-MHz probe thro ugh the temporal and frontal ''windows'' of the skull. Measurements we re taken under standard physiological conditions before, during and af ter surgery. Preliminary results suggest that this non-invasive techni que may be helpful in predicting and assessing the outcome following s urgery for craniosynostosis.