Assessment of intellectual development after surgery for craniofacial dysostosis
M. Powazek and G. J. Billmeier Jr
A 2-year-old girl with Crouzon's disease underwent three craniectomies. At
age 4, she began a series of psychological tests to monitor her
intellectual and academic functioning. Eight years after surgery, her
intellectual functioning was comparable to that of her unaffected sister
and far superior to that of her affected cousins, who were from similar
home environments. Although the exact contributions of early identification
and surgical intervention to the patient's intellectual and academic
achievement could not be ascertained, these results suggest that some
patients who receive early surgical treatment for Crouzon's disease may
maintain a consistent rate of intellectual and academic development.
