Longitudinal follow-up of children after surgical treatment of scaphocephaly.

78 patients underwent surgery for scaphocephaly at the mean age of 1.2 (0.2-14.7) years in Faculty Hospital Motol in Prague. All operated children ("free bone flap" technique) have been longitudinally followed-up by the same neurosurgeon and by the same anthropologist. Non-invasive direct cephalometry has been an inevitable part of diagnostics, surgical treatment indication, postoperative follow-up and evaluation of the outcome of the treatment. Better cosmetic results in children operated before one year of age (the change of index cephalicus 6.5 units) in comparison with those treated later (3.7 units) is demonstrated (p = 0.02).