Craniotabes

Craniotabes is an abnormal softening or thinning of the skull, especially seen in new borns. Seen mostly in occipital bone & posterior part of parietal bone. Bone is soft and has a ping pong ball like feeling on pressing. The word comes from the German work crani for skull and the Latin word tabes for wasting. Any condition that affects bone growth, such as rickets, marasmus, syphilis,or thalassemia present during a time of rapid skull growth can cause craniotabes.It can be a "normal " feature in premature infants.