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0000252 Microcephaly

synonym

Reduced head circumference
Small head circumference
small calvarium
small cranium
Decreased size of cranium
Decreased circumference of cranium
Abnormally small skull
Decreased size of skull
Abnormally small cranium

comment

Head circumference is measured from just above the glabella (the most prominent point on the frontal bone above the root of the nose) to the most posterior prominent point of the occipital bone using a tape measure. Some standard charts are organized by centiles [Hall et al. [2007]], others by standard deviations [Farkas, [1981]]. It is important to add an indication of how far below the normal standard the head circumference is if an accurate assessment of this can be made. Microcephaly is an absolute term. The term relative microcephaly can be used when the head size centile is less than the centile for height, for example, head size at the 3rd centile with height at the 75% for age and sex. On prenatal ultrasound, microcephaly is diagnosed if the head circumference or the biparietal diameter is more than three standard deviations below the mean.

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