Monitoring skull base abnormalities in children with osteogenesis imperfecta - Review of current practice and a suggested clinical pathway

OBJECTIVES: In the context of a lack of national consensus on the benefits of skull base imaging in children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), this study aims to analyse and correlate the clinical symptoms and radiological images of children with severe OI.

METHODS: A retrospective case notes and image analysis was carried out on children with complex OI between 2012 and 2018 at a specialist tertiary centre. Data were collected on patient demographic factors, clinical data, imaging findings (presence of Wormian bones, platybasia, basilar impression (McGregor's technique) and basilar invagination (McRae's technique)), and clinical features at the time of imaging.

RESULTS: Of the 127 patients in the OI database, 94 were included. A total of 321 radiographs, 21 CT scans and 39 MRI scans were analysed. Average frequency of radiographs was 8 per 10 years. Of the 94 patients, 58 (62%), 10 (11%), 1 (1%) demonstrated platybasia, basilar impression, and basilar invagination, respectively. Of the radiographs analysed, platybasia, basilar impression, basilar invagination, and the presence of Wormian bones, could not be evaluated in 71 (22.3%), 48 (15.2%), 61 (19.5%) and 28 (9.4%) radiographs respectively (due to poor positioning, anatomical abnormalities, and poor image quality). Of the 140 radiographs with platybasia, 17 (12%) also demonstrated basilar impression compared to only 3 (2.9%) out of the 99 without platybasia (p = 0.03). No significant associations were seen between the presence of Wormian bones and basilar impression. Of the 39 MRIs, additional information on CSF flow rate, spinal cord signal and cerebellar morphology was reported in 14 (36%). There was a lack of concordance between MRI and matched radiographs in 7.1% (1/14) and 36% (5/14) for platybasia and basilar impression respectively, with full concordance for basilar invagination. Fewer than 5% had positive clinical symptoms/signs at the time of imaging; 2% (7/321) had macrocephaly, 0.6% (2/321) headache, all other neurological features were absent). Clinical features were not documented in >85% of patients.

CONCLUSION: The apparent low prevalence of clinical symptoms and signs and of radiologically identified cranio-cervical abnormalities, suggests that current levels of serial imaging may be excessive. Until larger prospective studies clarify these issues, we suggest a clinical pathway for base of skull imaging which proposes a risk stratification approach to radiographic frequency and suggests parameters for proceeding to MRI.