Morphological Variations of Jugular Foramen in Dry Skulls of Central Indian Population: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: The jugular foramen is in close proximity with ninth, tenth and eleventh cranial nerves and the middle ear, it is the most common area for brain tumours like neurinomas and glomus tumours. A study of the morphological variations of the foramen would therefore be of immense help to Neurosurgeons and Otorhinolaryngologist. Aim: To analyse the morphometric dimensions of jugular foramen and subsequent neurosurgical implications. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study accessed the anteroposterior diameter, mediolateral diameter and area of jugular foramen, width and depth of jugular fossa was studied in 50 dry adult skulls of central Indian population in Department of Anatomy, Amaltas Institute of Medical Sciences, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, India, between February 2021 to June 2021.The presence of septations and dome was noted. The above data was recorded and analysed using Statistical Package For The Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 (IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA) and two tailed student’s t-test (p<0.05). Results: The mean anteroposterior dimension of jugular foramen was 12.86±2.67 mm on the right and 10.57±2.32 mm on the left. The mean mediolateral dimension of jugular foramen was 14.92±2.46 mm on the right and 13.62 ±1.96 mm on the left. The mean area of jugular foramen was 175.45±48.23 mm2 on the right and 140.53±42.23 mm2 on the left. The mean width of the jugular fossa was 7.74±2.45 mm on the right and 6.26±2.89 mm on the left. The mean depth of jugular fossa was 12.64±4.87 mm on the right and 11.88±4.32 mm on the left significant difference was noted between right and left side dimensions for anteroposterior diameter, mediolateral diameter and area of foramen, width and depth of fossa. Incomplete septations were observed in 62% foramen on right and 56% in left. A dome was observed in 68% foramen on right and in 32% foramen on left. Conclusion: There was significant difference in the anteroposterior and mediolateral dimensions and area of the jugular foramen bilaterally and the right dimensions are more than the left. Further the width of jugular fossa showed significant difference bilaterally. On statistical analysis, no significant difference was observed between the depth of both right and left jugular fossa.