THE BONE age, as measured by the number of ossification centers which are calcified, has become an index of the stage of development of the growing child. The disturbances in the appearance of these ossification centers associated with endocrine dysfunction are clearly defined. But there are many instances of abnormal ossification in which the causative factors are not understood.
The purpose of this paper is to describe a small group of patients, some with retarded and others with precipitated development of ossification centers, who did not have other evidence of endocrine dysfunctions, and the occurrence of nonrachitic craniotabes in the latter group.
REPORT OF CASES
The first six cases are examples of retarded osseous development (Table 1). Five of these children were short in stature, and none of the six revealed any sign of the endocrine disorders which are characterized by delayed skeletal maturation.The next seven cases (Table 2)