High-frequency ultrasound confirmation of positional plagiocephaly

Abstract

High-frequency ultrasound is a relatively inexpensive, safe, and easy-to-use tool for confirming the diagnosis of positional plagiocephaly and excluding true synostosis. Overlapping bone plates may be seen on the affected side of the skull in a majority of plagiocephalic patients, but this finding seems to have no prognostic value regarding early fusion of sutures and therefore should not affect treatment decisions. With its lack of interobserver variability and the advantage of not involving ionizing radiation, sonography has the potential to be a standard modality for investigating plagiocephaly in infants and should be offered in craniofacial outpatient clinics.