Alejandra Nohemí Hernández-Rodríguez; Salvador Galindo-de León; Rodolfo Morales-Avalos; María del Carmen Theriot-Girón; Oscar de la Garza-Castro; Rodrigo E. Elizondo-Omaña & Santos Guzmán-López

Summary

The anatomic descriptions of mastoid foramen (MF) and mastoid emissary vein (MEV) are lacking in the literature. This knowledge is fundamental for the surgeon who is about to perform surgery of the posterior fossa or mastoid region. This study aims to determine the prevalence of MF and MEV in Mexican population, determine the morphometric characteristics of MF and describe possible variations in the number, size, location and asymmetry. In this study 88 craniums were evaluated (176 hemicranium) by two independent observers who did not have access to information of each other´s results. The prevalence, number and the morphometric characteristics were determined. MF prevalence of the two sides of the skull was 75 % with a higher frequency of the left foramina compared to the right side; in reference to the number of foramina we found 108 hemicranium with a single MF, 22 double and 2 triple foramen. In conclusion, the prevalence of MF and MEV in this study is 75%, this single variant noted as being the most frequent.

KEY WORDS: Mastoid foramen; Mastoid emissary vein; Prevalence; Morphometric characteristics; México.

How to cite this article