Surgical Correction of the False Oxycephaly in Adult Patient: A Case Report

Seo, Yeong Min; Chung, Seung Moon

Abstract

Oxycephaly, which is a frontal deformity in which the forehead is recessed and tilted backwards, is usually caused by the premature fusion of mainly the coronal and sagittal suture. In 1926, David M. Greig proposed to classify oxycephaly into three different forms; true oxycephaly, delayed oxycephaly and false oxycephaly. False oxycephaly is a simple morphotype of the skull without any clinical symptoms which does not affect the brain in any way. Surgical repair of oxycephaly for adults can include cosmetic considerations and the prevention or possible improvement of functional symptoms such as headaches, vomiting and visual disturbance. Furthermore, in adults who does not have any functional problems, cosmetic surgery can be done. But oxycephaly of adult patients need more complex and extensive surgical interventions than that of infant patients. A-21-year-old male who had a retroverted forehead, pointed head and a flat fronto-nasal angle, without any functional problems, was treated by a fronto- orbital advancement and a transposition between the frontal and fronto-parietal bone. This method provided us with a good frontonasal angle and a gently backward sloping forehead above the supraorbital bar. An acceptable aesthetic appearance was achieved 6 months after the operation. This remodeling technique is adequate for resolving the aesthetic problems of adult false oxycephalic patients who does not have any functional problems.