Assessment of intellectual development after surgery for craniofacial dysostosis.

A 2-year-old girl with Crouzon's disease underwent three craniectomies. At age 4, she began a series of psychological tests to monitor her intellectual and academic functioning. Eight years after surgery, her intellectual functioning was comparable to that of her unaffected sister and far superior to that of her affected cousins, who were from similar home environments. Although the exact contributions of early identification and surgical intervention to the patient's intellectual and academic achievement could not be ascertained, these results suggest that some patients who receive early surgical treatment for Crouzon's disease may maintain a consistent rate of intellectual and academic development.