ABSTRACT
The skull protects the brain, enables ingestion and respiration, and encloses the visual, auditory and olfactory systems. The consequences of shortening the box for these essential organs is far reaching. The main impact of brachycephaly on the nervous system is disruption of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) movement and absorption. This chapter covers CSF physiology and how this is impacted by brachycephaly, airorhynchy and associated craniosynostosis. The pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of CSF disorders are discussed including ventriculomegaly, hydrocephalous, quadrigeminal cistern expansion, Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia and common differential diagnoses.
