Morphometric and Morphological Variant of Pterion in Adult Human Skulls

Abstract

Background: The pterion is the H-shaped suture formed by the meeting off our bones namely frontal bone, parietal bone, temporal bone and greater wing of sphenoid bone. It is clinically significant because the middle meningeal artery passes in close proximity beneath it and also the bones here are thinner compared to the other parts of the skull, so any injury over this region may lead to haemorrhage and serious complications. It also serves as an important neurosurgical and mark to access vital structures such as the sylvian fissure, circle of Willis, optic nerve, para sellar region, middle meningeal vessels and cavernous sinus. Variations in the pterion morphology have been described in literature. The thorough understanding and the knowledge of the presence of various pterion types is needed by the surgeons for safe and effective surgical access. Aim: To study the location of pterion and its morphological variations. Objective: The objectives of the present study is to determine theme a distance of center of pterion to the midpoint of front zygomatic suture and to the midpoint of zygoma. To observe the prevalence of sutural types of pterions. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 dry adult human skulls of unknown sex and age from the Institute of Anatomy, Madras Medical College. Measurements were taken using a digital vernier caliper. Results: In the current study, SPHENOPARIETAL type of suture is present in 40 dry skulls (80%) followed by Fronto temporal type of suture in 9 dry skulls (18%) and Epipteric (2%). Conclusion: The precise location of the pterion is of great significance for neurosurgeons, as it provides access for various surgical procedures such as pterional keyhole surgeries, trephination for extradural hematoma, and aneurysm repair.