Caroticoclinoid Foramen in Human Skulls: Incidence, Morphometry and its Clinical Implications

Abstract

SUMMARY:The caroticoclinoid foramen is an inconstant structure, formed by the union of the anterior and middle clinoid processes. The aim of this study was to perform an incidence and morphometry of the caroticoclinoid foramen in Brazilian human skulls and discuss its clinical implications. Eighty dry human skulls with sex distinction were used, and 3 groups of incidence were determined: General, sex, and sides. The morphometry was performed using a manual caliper and the major diameter of the foramina was measured; the values were also divided in general, according to sex and sides. The incidence of skulls with at least one foramen was 8.5%. According to the sides, 8.5% of the skulls showed foramen on the right side and 2.5% on the left. We found 2.5% of the skulls with bilateral foramen and 6.25% with unilateral foramen. In relation to sex, the foramens were found in 5% of male skulls and 12.5% of female skulls. The major diameter of this structure presented on mean, values of 5.23 mm on general, 5.18 mm on the right side and 5.35 mm on the left, 5.30 mm in male skulls and 5.18 mm in female skulls. The anatomical characteristics of this foramen should be considered in view of its clinical implications associated with neurosurgery as clinoid process removal, and symptoms as headache due to internal carotid artery alterations in this region. In conclusion knowledge of this structure supports the diagnosis and treatment of clinical complications related to this variation.

Morphometric Study of Five Constant Skull Base Foramina in the Muisca Population of the Tibanica Anthropological Collection of the Universidad de Los Andes

“…Additionally, the morphological variations that we found in the skulls of the collection (here reported as occasional findings) are consistent with the literature, which supports the notion that said anatomic variants are rather common (Collipal et al, 2009;Aviles-Solis et al;Rodrigues et al;Singh et al;Raval et al).…”

“…Current morphometric studies of the skull base foramina are centered on the clinical relevance of their variability, particularly on the pathological and procedural complications that may arise from this aspect (Osunwoke et al, 2010;Aviles-Solis et al, 2011;Rodrigues et al, 2011; Grupo de Investigación en Anatomía para la Educación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá D.C., Colombia. Singh et al, 2011;Khan et al;Osunwoke et al, 2012;Gupta et al;Kumar et al;Raval et al, 2015;Vidya et al).…”

Clinical and surgical relevance of ipsilateral occurrence of the ossified interclinoid ligament and carotico-clinoid foramen in the juvenile sphenoid bone

“…The authors did not find significant correlations between sex, age, side and the frequency of complete and incomplete ossification of the carotico-clinoid ligaments, when studied normal subjects. In turn, Freire et al [44] found that mean values range from 5.18 to 5.35 mm, depending on the side (right or left) and the sex of the examined adult subjects.…”