What is "acrania"

Acrania \A*cra"ni*a\, n. [NL., from Gr. 'a priv. + ? skull.]

1. (Physiol.) Partial or total absence of the skull.

2. pl. (Zo["o]l.) The lowest group of Vertebrata, including the amphioxus, in which no skull exists.

n. (context physiology English) Partial or total absence of the skull.

Acrania is a rare congenital disorder that occurs in the human fetus in which the flat bones in the cranial vault are either completely or partially absent. The cerebral hemispheres develop completely but abnormally. The condition is frequently, though not always, associated with anencephaly. The fetus is said to suffer from acrania if it meets the following criteria: the fetus should have a perfectly normal facial bone, a normal cervical column but without the fetal skull and a volume of brain tissue equivalent to at least one third of the normal brain size.