Acrocephaly
Acrocephaly Definition
Acrocephaly is a rare congenital syndrome which is often characterized by a narrowing of the pulmonary valve, retardation of the patient's mental development, and a pointy skull (or the skull's loftiness). More often than not, the head of the patient appears cone-like. A term that is similar to acrocephaly is oxycephaly. Oxycephaly has features that are similar to acrocephaly such as the coronal sutre and other sutures that close prematurely. Oxycephaly is the most severe type of of all craniostenoses.
Acrocephaly Etymology
The word was derived from acro and cephaly which came from the New Latin word cephalus, in Greek, which means head.
Acrocephaly Symptoms and Signs
The most common signs of acrocephaly are fast breathing, fatigue, shortness of breathing, mental retardation (often characterized by low IQ among patients), rapid heart rate (also known as tachycardia), swelling symptoms, and pointy skull.
Acrocephaly Treatment
Treatments and therapies could be applied to alleviate the symptoms. Specialists could be consulted to help on the mental development of the patient. Cardiologists could also help on the cardiac symptoms of the illness.