1 Departments of Surgery and Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
Persistence of the anterior fontanel has been described in a variety of congenital and metabolic disorders, but to our knowledge there is no recorded discussion of failure of closure of this structure in an otherwise normal child. We recently encountered a 3
-year-old patient whose anterior fontanel was widely patent without evidence of abnormal membranous bone formation, underlying cortical dysgenetic problems, or failure of normal physical and intellectual development.
CASE REPORT
This 3
-year-old white girl, the product of a normal gestation, was referred for continued patency of the anterior fontanel. The child was totally asymptomatic. On examination, a pulsatile irregular 5x6-cm anterior fontanel was noted.