Reading a Cranial Scan

Reading a Head Shape Scan

Discover how to accurately interpret cranial scans and identify early signs of cranial asymmetry.

Digital Surface Imaging (DSi):

Digital surface imaging technology for infant head shape assessments

Digital Surface Imaging (DSi):

The DSi scan provides a comprehensive 3D view of the infant’s head, allowing healthcare professionals to categorize cranial asymmetry into three levels of severity.

What Our Clinicians Look For:

Head height taller on the right side of the head
Increased posterior head height
Normal occipital length and rounding. Increased posterior head height is not enough to warrant DOC Band treatment
Normal length to width ratio
Mild biparietal narrowing, R>L CI=82.2
Skull base symmetry is WNL, right ear mildly in front of left. CVA=3mm

What Our Clinicians Look For:

Head height discrepancy noted with the right side taller than the left
Facial asymmetry not impacted
Increased posterior head height
Treatment recommended due to the moderate flattening noted at the left parietal -occipital and right frontal/temporal areas
Asymmetries transfer to front of head and impact ear alignment with right ear shifted forward from the left. CVA=8mm

What Our Clinicians Look For:

Infant presents with moderate width above the ears
Facial symmetry is within normal limits because primary issue is width to length ratio
There is shortening on the the back of the head and increased posterior head height
Infant presents with increased width to length ratio. CI=95.8

Plagiocephaly & Brachycephaly

What Our Clinicians Look For:

Infant presents with increased width above the ears.
Flattening noted to the back of the head. Sloped forehead.
Infant has increased parietal width and flattening to the back of the head. CI=93.5
Moderate asymmetries

What Our Clinicians Look For:

Facial asymmetry with left eye appearing larger than the right; left cheek is fuller than the right.
Head height is taller on the left. Increased posterior head height and sloping to the forehead Severe left parietal-occipital and right frontal/temporal flattening, right parietal bulge.
Head is windswept to the right. CVA=15
Parietal flattening more severe lower on the head.
Severe skull base shift with left ear more forward than the left and plane of the face shifted forwarded on the left.

What Our Clinicians Look For:

From face on, there is increased width noted above the ears.
Note the width of the head disproportionate to the width of the face.
Parietal cornering noted.
From profile, the infant presents with severe posterior head height and sloping to the forehead.
There is indenting at the coronal suture and shortening to the occipital length.
Infant presents with increase width parietally and shortened occipital length.
The head is as wide as it is long. CI=100

Plagiocephaly & Brachycephaly

What Our Clinicians Look For:

From face on, notice the squamoid bulging over the ears and the disproportion of the width of the head to the width of the face.
From profile, note the severe posterior head height, sloping of the forehead and flattening to the back of the head.
From vertex, note the increased width to the head. d, especially the squamoid bulging, R>L.
There is also significant asymmetry with right parietal-occipital flattening and left frontal flattening. CI= 99.2 (+5SD)
CVA=8mm
Measurement influenced by the deformity shifting more laterally and the flattening of occiput in general.
There is a shift to the ears with the right ear anterior to the left. Because much of deformity went wide, skull base shift not as significant as cranial vault asymmetry.