Abstract
When are Wormian bones significant is not an easy question to answer, but its relevance is important in relation to bone dysplasias such as osteogenesis imperfecta. Recognition will differ with age of patient, radiographic objectivity, and personal subjectivity. In order to attempt an answer, the skull radiographs of 81 cases of osteogenesis imperfecta of varying ages were examined for the presence of wormian bones. These were compared against the incidence of Wormian bones in 500 skull radiographs of normal children. Significant Wormian bones as against normal developmental variants were considered to be those more than 10 in number, measuring greater than 6 mm by 4 mm, and arranged in a general mosaic pattern. They were found in all the cases of osteogenesis imperfecta but not in the normal skulls. The occurrence of significant Wormian bones in other bone dysplasias from our material and that of the literature was recorded. Other incidental findings in the skulls of the cases of osteogenesis imperfecta were also appraised.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Brown DM, Bradford DS, Gorlin RJ, Desnick RJ, Langer LO, Jowsey J, Sauk JJ (1976) The acro-osteolysis syndrome: Morphologic and biochemical studies. J Pediatr 88:573
Cremin BJ (1970) Familial idiopathic osteoarthropathy of children: A case report and progress. Br J Radiol 43:568
De Busk FL (1972) The Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome: Report of four cases and review of the literature. J Pediatr 80:697
El-Najjar MY, Dawson GL (1977) The effect of artificial cranial deformation on the incidence of Wormian bones in the lambdoidal suture. Am J Phys Anthropol 46:155
Eventou I, Reider-Grosswasser I, Weiss S, Legum C, Schorr S (1979) Cleidocranial dysplasia. A family study. Clin Radiol 30:323
Kurlander GJ, Lavy NW, Campbell JA (1966) Roentgen differentiation of the oculodento-digital syndrome and the Hallermann-Streiff syndrome in infancy. Radiology 86:77
Leichner-Weil S (1964) Das Vorkommen von Schaltknochen in den Schädelaufnahmen von Epileptikern. Radiol Clin 33:383
Margolin FR, Steinbach HL (1968) Progeria: Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome. AJR 103:173
Pearson KD, Steinbach HL, Bier DM (1971) Roentgenographic manifestations of the Prader-Willi syndrome. Radiology 100:369
Pendergrass HP, Schaeffer JP (1956) The head and neck in roentgen diagnosis. Vol. 1. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, p 76
Pryles C (1979) Wormian bones: A marker of CNS abnormality? Am J Dis Child 133:380
Reeder MM, Felson B (1975) Gamuts in radiology. Audiovisual Radiology of Cincinatti, Cininnati, p A-31
Shapiro R, Robinson F (1976) The Os Incae. AJR 127:469
Shaw EB, Steinbach HL (1968) Aminopterin-induced fetal malformation: Survival of infant after attempted abortion. Am J Dis Child 115:477
Steele RW, Bass JW (1970) Hallermann-Streiff syndrome. Clinical and prognostic considerations. Am J Dis Child 120:462
Swischuck LE (1980) Radiology of the new born and young infant. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, p 743
Taybi H (1975) Radiology of syndromes. Year Book Medical Publishers, Chicago, p 17, 109, 136, 214, 216, 264
Wesenberg RL, Gwinn JL, Barnes GR (1969) Radiological findings in the kinky-hair syndrome. Radiology 92:500
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cremin, B., Goodman, H., Spranger, J. et al. Wormian bones in osteogenesis imperfecta and other disorders. Skeletal Radiol 8, 35–38 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00361366
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00361366