Pediatric Calvarial Thickening

  • Etiology:
    — Chronic ventriculoperitoneal shunting
    — Phenytoin usage for chronic seizures
    — Anemias (sickle cell disease, thalassemia)
    — Osteopetrosis
    — Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome
  • Imaging: Thickening of the diploic space
  • DDX:
  • Complications:
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical:

Radiology Cases of Calvarial Thickening

Radiology Cases of Calvarial Thickening Due to Thalassemia

Radiograph of thalassemia in the skull
Lateral radiograph of the skull shows widening of the diploic space, thinning of the inner and outer tables of the skull, and an overall hair-on-end appearance with sparing of the occipital bone.

Radiology Cases of Calvarial Thickening Due to Phenytoin Usage

CT of calvarial thickening due to phenytoin usage
Axial CT without contrast of the brain shows diffuse thickening of the diploic spaces in the skull.

Radiology Cases of Calvarial Thickening Due to Sickle Cell Disease

CT of calvarial thickening due to marrow hyperplasia in a patient with sickle cell disease
Axial (above left), coronal (above right) and sagittal (below) CT without contrast of the skull shows diffuse massive thickening of the diploic space of the skull.