[Premature craniosynostosis--cause of sudden death in children and young adults].

Primary premature craniosynostosis ordinarily leads to characteristic skull abnormalities, if the ossification of the sutures happens in early childhood and involves all sutures, the elevation of intracranial pressure may not cause severe clinical features and the head morphology may be normal. A disproportion between skull capacity and brain volume will be the result. Three cases are reported, where these preconditions combined with exterior effects like minimal trauma, physical activity or consumption of alcohol or medicaments caused sudden death. Important autoptic findings are ossified cranial sutures with the absence of suture lines and increased scalloping of the internal table of the skull (impressiones digitatae).