Frontal bossing Health Article

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. It is probably best recognized by the public in the disease acromegaly because people with acromegaly who become extremely tall and large (giants) are seen frequently in movies.

Common Causes

• Congenital syphilis
• Acromegaly
• Russell-Silver syndrome (Russell-Silver dwarf)
• Pfeiffer syndrome
• Basal cell nevus syndrome
• Crouzon syndrome
• Hurler syndrome
• Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome
• Fetal trimethadione syndrome
• Cleidocranial dysostosis

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 (such as chromosome studies, enzyme assays, x-rays, and metabolic studies) may be ordered to confirm the presence of a suspected disorder.