Acrania

/əˈkreɪniə/ noun

Definition

A rare congenital condition where a fetus or infant is born with an absent or severely underdeveloped skull or brain case.

Etymology

From Greek a- (without) combined with kranion (skull). This medical term uses classical Greek components to describe a severe birth defect affecting the cranium.

Kelly Says

Acrania is one of the anencephaly spectrum disorders—infants born with this condition cannot survive, but studying these rare birth defects helped scientists understand how the skull and nervous system develop together during pregnancy.

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