Health Encyclopedia

Frontal bossing

Definition

Frontal bossing is an unusually prominent forehead, sometimes associated with a heavier than normal brow ridge.

Considerations

Frontal bossing is seen only in a few rare syndromes, including acromegaly, a chronic disorder caused by too much growth hormone, which leads to enlargement of the bones of the face, jaw, hands, feet, and skull.

Common Causes

Acromegaly
Basal cell nevus syndrome
Congenital syphilis
Cleidocranial dysostosis
Crouzon syndrome
Hurler syndrome
Pfeiffer syndrome
Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome
Russell-Silver syndrome (Russell-Silver dwarf)
Use of the antiseizure drug trimethadione during pregnancy

Home Care

There is no home care needed for frontal bossing. Home care for disorders associated with frontal bossing varies with the specific disorder.

Call your health care provider if

If you notice that your child's forehead looks unusually prominent, talk to your health care provider.

What to expect at your health care provider's office

An infant or child with frontal bossing generally has other symptoms and signs that, when taken together, define a specific syndrome or condition. The diagnosis is based on a family history, medical history, and thorough physical evaluation.

Medical history questions documenting frontal bossing in detail may include:

When did you first notice that the forehead appeared unusually prominent?
What other symptoms are present?
Have you noticed any other unusual physical characteristics?
Has a disorder been identified as the cause of the frontal bossing?
If so, what was the diagnosis?

Laboratory studies may be ordered to confirm the presence of a suspected disorder.

Review Date:11/14/2007
Reviewed By:Deirdre O’Reilly, M.D., M.P.H., Neonatologist, Division of Newborn Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston and Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

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