Premature closure of cranial sutures (primary craniosynostosis) in children 
leads to characteristic skull deformities and prevents the constricted brain 
from growing normally. Although the cause remains unknown, several etiological 
factors have been cited. Recently, hypovascularity has been reported as a 
possible cause of craniosynostosis.
METHODS: In a prospective study regional cerebral blood flow studies were 
carried out with 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in seven children with craniosynostoses. Five 
preoperative and six postoperative studies were conducted and the results 
correlated with radiological and surgical findings.
RESULTS: Preoperative studies revealed regional hypovascularity in the 
underlying cerebral hemisphere, corresponding to the fused sutures. 
Postoperative studies revealed disappearance of these perfusion defects in most 
cases, indicating normalization of perfusion following surgical decompression.
CONCLUSION: This study establishes the presence of cerebral hypovascularity in 
craniosynostoses and suggests that early surgery and release of craniostenosis 
is essential to achieve optimum perfusion and brain development.