The clinical features of 107 cases of children with hydrocephalus and measured raised intraventricular pressure were analysed retrospectively. Fifty one children had recently been diagnosed as having hydrocephalus, and the remainder had had shunts injected to direct the cerebrospinal fluid. The most common symptoms in the group were vomiting, behavioural changes, drowsiness, and headaches. The ...

We report two cases of cleidocranial dysplasia, which was managed without significant craniofacial osteotomy. A mother and daughter, both of normal intelligence, presented with central forehead depression, mid-face hypoplasia, and blepharoptosis. The fact that they have an identically deformed face implied a genetic basis. In both patients, radiologic evaluation revealed the underdeveloped maxi...

A new species of Sinemys (Testudines: Cryptodira: Sinemydidae), S. brevispinus n. sp. is described on the basis of three skeletons from the Early Cretaceous Luohandong Formation, Chabu Sumu, Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia. The new taxon is characterised by an elongate carapace with a pair of distinct but short lateral spines, a sculptured shell surface, closed lateral carapacial fontanelles and an...

Actinopterygians (ray-finned fishes) are the most diverse living osteichthyan (bony vertebrate) group, with a rich fossil record. However, details of their earliest history during the middle Palaeozoic (Devonian) 'Age of Fishes' remains sketchy. This stems from an uneven understanding of anatomy in early actinopterygians, with a few well-known species dominating perceptions of primitive conditi...

Seven patients with congenital cutis laxa are presented. The associated features include developmental delay, joint laxity, wide anterior fontanelle, growth retardation, dental caries, and osteopenia. The heterogeneity and inheritance of congenital cutis laxa are discussed. This particular syndrome appears distinct and is likely to be autosomal recessive in view of the two brother-sister sib pa...

Frogs of the genus Atelognathus form a clade of nine narrowly distributed species restricted to Patagonia, southern Argentina and Chile, characterized by a large, exposed frontoparietal fontanelle, short palatines, large nasals and by the absence of quadratojugals and middle ear elements. Although Frost et al. (2006) have included Atelognathus in the redefined family Ceratophryidae, we have dat...

A 2760 g female infant was born at term to a gravida 6 para 5 mother after a normal pregnancy with no history of exposure to alcohol , teratogens , or ionizing radiation. Abnormal findings on physical examination were slight hypertonicity , respiratory distress in room air, and microcephaly (head circumference < -3 SD). The hard palate was intact. The anterior and posterior fontanelles were sma...

A 3-months old infant born to non-consanguineous parents was evaluated for hypotonia and developmental delay. He had a cataract in left eye, congenital glaucoma and megalocornea in right eye with no other dysmorphism. Anterior fontanelle was widely open. He was hypotonic with diminished tendon reflexes. Hypermobility was noted around both elbows and knees. There were unusual multiple skin folds...

The development of the mammalian skull is a complex process that requires multiple tissue interactions and a balance of growth and differentiation. Disrupting this balance can lead to changes in the shape and size of skull bones, which can have serious clinical implications. For example, insufficient ossification of the bony elements leads to enlarged anterior fontanelles and reduced mechanical...

A randomized, double-masked trial was carried out in rural Nepal to investigate the incidence and severity of acute side-effects among neonates ( < 1 month of age) and infants aged 1-6 months who received a large, oral dose of vitamin A (15,000 retinol equivalents (RE) (50,000 IU) and 30,000 RE (100,000 IU), respectively) or placebo (75 RE (250 IU) and 150 RE (500 IU), respectively) in oil. Inf...