Bregma

The bregma is the anatomical point on the skull at which the coronal suture is intersected perpendicularly by the sagittal suture.

Bregma
Superior view of the calvarium, bregma located at the intersection of the coronal and sagittal sutures.
  1. Coronal Suture
  2. Sagittal Suture
  3. Lambdoid Suture
(Lambda also visible at the intersection of the lambdoid suture by the sagittal suture.)
Identifiers
TAA02.1.00.016
FMA264776
Anatomical terminology

Location

The bregma is located at the intersection of the coronal suture and the sagittal suture on the superior middle portion of the calvaria. It is the point where the frontal bone and parietal bones meet.

Development

The bregma is known as the anterior fontanelle during infancy. The anterior fontanelle is membranous and closes in the first 18-36months of life (according to Thieme atlas of anatomy).

Clinical significance

In the congenital disorder cleidocranial dysostosis, the anterior fontanelle never closes to form the bregma.

The bregma is often used as a reference point for stereotactic surgery of the brain.

Also, examination of an infant includes palpating the anterior fontanelle. A sunken fontanelle indicates dehydration, whereas a very tense or bulging anterior fontanelle indicates raised intracranial pressure.

Etymology

Bregma comes from the Greek bregma, meaning top of the head.[1]

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References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 135 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. Liddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon

Additional images
  • The bregma, human skull.
  • lesson1 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)
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