Frontal bossing

Definition:

A prominence of the forehead. Bossing may be associated with a heavier than normal brow ridge such as seen in acromegaly.

Considerations:

Frontal bossing is seen only in a few rare syndromes. It is probably best recognized by the public in the disease acromegaly because "acromegalic 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
• cleidocranial dysostosis

Note: There may be other causes of frontal bossing. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as quality, time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for frontal bossing, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.

Update Date: 02/09/00
Updated by: J. Gordon Lambert, MD, Associate Medical Director, Utah Health Informatics and adam.com editorial