Metopism

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Metopism is the persistence of the metopic suture in an adult skull. The metopic suture runs down the middle of the forehead where the two halves of the frontal bone meet. The frontal bone makes up the forehead and the roofs of the eye sockets and has a vertical part (the squama) and a horizontal part (the orbital part).

Before birth, a membrane separates the two halves of the frontal bone. Each side forms from its own ossification centers, and at birth the frontal bone has two parts separated by the metopic suture. Normally this suture fuses by about age 8, but in some people it remains into adulthood.

There is no single proven cause for metopism. In severe cases, it can be linked with vision, learning, or behavioral problems. Many people have no symptoms and do not need treatment. If treatment is needed, surgery can be an option. Care teams may include neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, neurologists, dentists, and other specialists.