What does macrocephaly mean?

Macrocephaly refers to a head circumference (the measurement around the widest part of the head) that is greater than the 98th percentile on the growth chart. Primary care physicians may refer to the pediatric neurosurgeon based on your child’s increasing head circumference.

What is considered microcephaly?

Microcephaly is a head size (measured as the distance around the top of the head) significantly below the median for the infant’s age and sex. Significantly below is generally considered to be smaller than three standard deviations below the mean, or less than 42 cm in circumference at full growth.

What are the causes of macrocephaly?

What causes macrocephaly?

• An enlarged brain (megalencephaly).
• Fluid on your child’s brain (hydrocephalus).
• Bleeding in your child’s brain, including from arteriovenous malformation.
• Overgrowth of skull bones (cranial hyperostosis).
• Brain tumors.
• Chronic (long-lasting) hematomas.

What is micro and macrocephaly?

Macrocephaly refers to an overly large head. It’s often a symptom of complications or conditions in the brain. There’s a standard used to define macrocephaly: The circumference of a person’s head is more than two standard deviations above average for their age. Or, their head is larger than the 98th percentile.

How long do babies with microcephaly live?

There is no standard life expectancy for microcephalic babies because outcomes depend on so many factors, and the severity of the condition can range from mild to severe.

What age is microcephaly diagnosed?

Early diagnosis of microcephaly can sometimes be made by fetal ultrasound. Ultrasounds have the best diagnosis possibility if they are made at the end of the second trimester, around 28 weeks, or in the third trimester of pregnancy. Often diagnosis is made at birth or at a later stage.

Is macrocephaly a disease?

Macrocephaly is a term that means “large head.” The word doesn’t denote a harmful condition. A large head can be a completely normal and healthy condition if a large head size is typical in your family.

How is macrocephaly treated?

An infant with benign familial macrocephaly will not usually require any treatment other than monitoring the head’s size. Infants whose macrocephaly stems from a genetic condition may require lifelong treatment and support, including: occupational therapy.

What is Soto’s disease?

Definition. Sotos syndrome (cerebral gigantism) is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutation in the NSD1 gene on chromosome 5. It is characterized by excessive physical growth during the first few years of life.