Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is the Metopic Ridge?What Is Metopic Craniosynostosis?Symptoms of Metopic CraniosynostosisWhen to Contact a Healthcare ProviderTestsTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is the Metopic Ridge?
What Is Metopic Craniosynostosis?
Symptoms of Metopic Craniosynostosis
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
Tests
Treatment
A benign (harmless) metopic ridge may be slight or noticeable, but it is normal and usually disappears after a few years.However, a metopic ridge may be a symptom ofcraniosynostosis, a congenital defect that causes premature fusing of one or more sutures.
This article takes you through the causes, symptoms, and diagnosis of metopic ridges and craniosynostosis and how craniosynostosis is treated.
Alina Rudya/Bell Collective / Getty Images
The metopic ridge is a palpable (able to be touched or felt), bony ridge running down the middle of a child’s forehead. The metopic suture line runs from the top of the head down to the center of the forehead.
Research has found that it is normal for a ridge to form when a child’s metopic suture fuses normally.Whether slightly noticeable or pronounced, this ridge usually resolves within a few years.
While having a metopic ridge is not harmful and does not require surgery, a metopic ridge may be a sign of craniosynostosis.
A metopic ridge without other symptoms is not serious and does not require treatment. However, when other symptoms occur, a metopic ridge may be a sign of craniosynostosis. Craniosynostosis affects the flexible joints (sutures) in an infant’s head. These sutures, which usually remain open and flexible until a child is two years old, fuse prematurely.
Craniosynostosis is a serious condition because when one of the sutures in the skull fuses prematurely, the brain does not have enough room to continue to grow. This can lead to increased intracranial pressure that may affect development as the brain pushes against the fused skull.
When sutures fuse too early, the head becomes misshapen and does not grow properly. Metopic craniosynostosis usually causes a child to have a triangular-shaped head, in which the forehead is very narrow, and the back of the head is the long side of the triangle.
In addition to a metopic ridge, the classic signs of metopic craniosynostosis include:
Craniosynostosis can be serious because it often affects the brain’s ability to grow. If left untreated, craniosynostosis can potentially lead to issues such as blindness, seizures, or brain damage.
Contact your healthcare provider if you notice a ridge along your infant’s forehead or a ridge forming on the skull, with or without additional symptoms such as a triangular head shape and close-set eyes.
Tests to Evaluate Metopic Ridge
Metopic ridge can usually be diagnosed with a physical exam. Your doctor will closely examine your child’s forehead and feel along the ridge. To confirm the diagnosis, your pediatrician may recommend acomputed tomography (CT) scanof the head or a skullX-ray.
Metopic Craniosynostosis Treatment
Craniosynostosis is typically treated with surgery to reshape the skull into a more circular form and to allow sufficient room for the brain to grow naturally. Mild cases of craniosynostosis may not require surgery.A special medical helmet may sometimes be used to shape the skull into a more regular shape.
No treatment is needed for a normal metopic ridge.
Summary
A metopic ridge is a prominent ridge running down your child’s forehead. It is where suture lines meet between the two bony plates. A congenital defect called craniosynostosis, in which one or more sutures fuse prematurely, can cause a metopic ridge.
However, a metopic ridge can be benign if it presents without other symptoms, such as a narrow forehead, widening of the back of the head, and eyes that are close together. Diagnosis of craniosynostosis typically involves a physical examination and imaging tests. Treatment usually requires surgery, although it is not always necessary in mild cases.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.So your child has a metopic ridge.Stanford Health.Anatomy of the newborn skull.Hicdonmez T.Children with metopic ridge.Turk Neurosurg. 2017;27(4):585-589. doi:10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.16886-15.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Craniosynostosis.Mount Sinai.Metopic ridge.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.So your child has a metopic ridge.Stanford Health.Anatomy of the newborn skull.Hicdonmez T.Children with metopic ridge.Turk Neurosurg. 2017;27(4):585-589. doi:10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.16886-15.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Craniosynostosis.Mount Sinai.Metopic ridge.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.So your child has a metopic ridge.Stanford Health.Anatomy of the newborn skull.Hicdonmez T.Children with metopic ridge.Turk Neurosurg. 2017;27(4):585-589. doi:10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.16886-15.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Craniosynostosis.Mount Sinai.Metopic ridge.
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.So your child has a metopic ridge.
Stanford Health.Anatomy of the newborn skull.
Hicdonmez T.Children with metopic ridge.Turk Neurosurg. 2017;27(4):585-589. doi:10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.16886-15.2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Craniosynostosis.
Mount Sinai.Metopic ridge.
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