Morphometric Measurements and Morphology of Foramen Ovale in Dry Human Skulls and Its Relations With Neighboring Osseous Structures

Abstract

The importance of the location of the foramen ovale (FO) is particularly evident in external approaches to the skull base. Neighboring structures are of great importance in surgical interventions such as approaches used for trigeminal neuralgia (percutaneous trigeminal rhizotomy), transfacial fine needle aspiration in perineural spread of the tumor, and electroencephalographic analysis for seizures. This study aimed to investigate the morphometry, morphology and anatomical relations of the FO. Eighty hemicraniums of osteological collection of the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, in Turkey were investigated. In the study, the morphological features of the foramen ovale and their distance to the surrounding anatomical structures were measured. Oval (70%), almond (18.75%), slit (6.25%), round (5%) shaped foramen ovale were observed. The average length of foramen ovale on the right side was 7.09+1.07mm and 7.06+1.01mm on the left side, while the width was 4.16+0.79mm and 4.15+0.5mm, right and left respectively. The transverse distance of posterolateral edge of foramen ovale to lateral edge of articular tubercle was 33.06+3.25mm, the transverse and vertical distances of foramen ovale to mastoid proccess were, 17.36+3.09mm and 32.40+3.43mm. Finally, measurements of foramen ovale to the carotid canal, the inferior orbital fissure, and the pterygopalatine fossa were 16.70+1.9mm, 27.94+3.2mm and 14.88+1.91mm, respectively. Regional differences in morphometric and morphological analysis of foramen ovale are of clinical and anatomical significance for medical practitioners in neurosurgical procedures, treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, and diagnostic detection of tumors. Keywords: Cranium, foramen ovale, skull, trigeminal neuralgia