Pfeiffer Syndrome: Analysis of a Clinical Series and Development of a Classification System

Among the craniosynostosis syndromes, Pfeiffer syndrome is notable because of high mortality and the need for multiple surgical interventions. However, it is variable in severity. We propose a new classification of Pfeiffer Syndrome to define pathology and function. A retrospective review was conducted of 42 patients with Pfeiffer syndrome treated from 1975 to 2010, the largest series reported to date. The classification was based on a functional assessment of patients in terms of respiratory, ocular, otological, and neurological status. This classification was tested by scoring and stratifying patients as follows: type A (mild problems), B (moderate problems), or C (severe problems). Patients were scored both at the time of presentation and after all surgical interventions to assess change in functional outcome. The functional classification system was compared to another previously reported. Type A patients did not have any change in postoperative functional outcomes (mean preoperative score 1.6, mean postoperative score 1.6); type B patients showed functional improvement (mean preoperative score 4.1, mean postoperative score 3.4) but type C patients (mean preoperative score 7.7, mean postoperative score 4.8) demonstrated the greatest improvement in functional scores after surgical intervention. Suture pathology did not indicate the clinical severity of phenotype, a variance from a previously published classification. The proposed classification is useful to assess severity of phenotype: respiratory, ocular, otologic, and neurologic problems are key indicators of the need for treatment. The classification can provide a helpful guide in multidisciplinary treatment planning, in reporting outcomes, and in the sharing of data among craniofacial anomalies centers.