Results of this study indicate that the dimensions of the cricothyroid membrane are too small for passing a tracheal tube as the dimensions of the tube exceeds that of the cricothyroid membrane. This could fracture the cartilages of the larynx. The performance of a surgical cricothyroidotomy with passing of a tracheal tube is therefore strongly discouraged in neonatal patients.

3 D e p a r tm en t of A n a tom y , S ch ool of M e di ci n e , F a c ul ty of H eal th S ci en c es , U n i v e r si ty of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0001 4 Emergency Humanitarian Action, WHO Pakistan, PO Box 1013, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan. ABSTRACTKnowledge of the prevalence, morphology and location of the azygos lobe is essential for diagnostic and surgical procedures of the lungs related to mediastinal pathologies, especially to minimize intraoperative vascular injuries, shock, possible thoracotomy and even the possibility of pulmonary torsion. Reports on the prevalence of the azygos lobe vary between 0.11% and 0.43%. The aim of the current study was to record the prevalence and morphological description of the azygos lobe in the South African cadaveric population. A total of 704 adult cadavers dissected over a ten-year period by students in the Department of Human Anatomy at the Medunsa Campus, University of Limpopo, were studied. The prevalence and dimensions of the azygos lobe were determined with a 95% confidence interval. Results indicate that an azygos lobe was present in the right lung in only four cases (prevalence 0.57%, 95% Confidence Interval[CI]: 0.2%-1.6%). The mean height and width were 6.7 cm (95% CI: 4.4-9.2) and 4.5 cm (95% CI: 3.7-5.2) respectively. Observations on the morphology of the azygos lobe showed that it was rectangular (n=3) and triangular (n=1) in shape with smooth margins. In conclusion, the azygos lobe is a rare anomaly in the South African cadaveric population. The present results are comparable with those reported in the literature for other populations. Future radiological studies on the azygos lobe on living subjects in South Africa will be useful for further understanding of this rare but significant anomaly.

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Blocking the contents of the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) has been shown to be effective in treating most orofacial pain including that associated with trigeminal neuralgia. However, the technique is not widely used, and we propose it to be due to the vague descriptions of the techniques in the literature. The aim of this study was therefore to achieve an alternative method of locating the PPF. One hundred and sixty skulls from the department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria, were used. Distinct landmarks (both anthropometric and clinical) accompanied by existing and new anthropometric measurements were used to define the location of the PPF. Regression analysis was used to measure the reliability of predicting the location of the PPF. From the results, two mathematical formulae were devised (one for each side). These formulae were tested on 47 cadavers by inserting a needle at the calculated points after which the areas where dissected to determine whether or not the needle had entered the PPF. Our results showed an accuracy of 65.2% on the right and 54.4% on the left. In conclusion, improvement in the accuracy of the technique could aid in the management of various pain disorders as well as pain management during surgery.