A teachable moment: Identifying hyperostosis frontalis interna in a gross anatomy cadaver laboratory

Julia N. DiSalle, Alexis L. No

Abstract

Hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) is a condition in which newly formed cancellous bone is deposited on the inner lamina of the cranium forming irregular thickening on the internal surface of the frontal bone. HFI is mostly considered as a benign entity; however, it may result in compression of brain tissue if the frontal bone is extensively hypertrophied. HFI may be associated with hormonal imbalance and/or neuropsychiatric abnormalities, such as behavioral disturbances and dementia. Although, the etiology of HFI remains largely unknown, there is marked female predominance as HFI has been frequently reported among postmenopausal elderly women, and is reported in males with severe hypogonadism and testicular atrophy. Here, we report a case of an 80 year-old woman who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease/vascular dementia at the time of death, and was found to have HFI with dural fusion during dissection in the human gross anatomy laboratory at Gannon Universityt.