MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Metopic ridge

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Metopic ridge

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Definition Considerations Causes	When to Contact a Medical Professional What to Expect at Your Office Visit References

Illustrations

The face

Metopic ridge

Definition Return to top

A metopic ridge is an abnormal shape of the skull. The ridge can be seen on the forehead.

Considerations Return to top

A metopic ridge is similar to other ridged sutures. It is caused when the two halves of the frontal bones of the skull fuse together prematurely.

The metopic suture normally begins to close in the second year of life, and is usually completely closed during the third year -- although it does persist unclosed throughout life in 10% of the population.

Causes Return to top

Congenital craniosynostosis, particularly trigonocephaly, is a common cause for metopic ridge.

When to Contact a Medical Professional Return to top

Call your health care provider if you notice a ridge along the forehead of your infant or a ridge forming over any of the normal sutures of the skull.

What to Expect at Your Office Visit Return to top

The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about the child's medical history.

Questions may include:

When did you first notice this?
Are there any other ridged sutures?
Does the child have any other symptoms?

Diagnostic tests may include:

Head CT (maybe)
Skull x-ray

No treatment or surgery is required for a metopic ridge.

References Return to top

Ridgway EB. Skull deformities. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2004; 51(2): 359-87.

Grainger RC, Allison D, Adam, Dixon AK. Diagnostic Radiology: A Textbook of Medical Imaging. 4th ed. Orlando, Fl: Churchill Livingstone; 2001:2484.

Update Date: 11/14/2007

Updated by: Deirdre O’Reilly, M.D., M.P.H., Neonatologist, Division of Newborn Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston and Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

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