Introduction. The foramen Vesalius is a variable foramen located at the skull base, anteromedial to the foramen ovale behind and lateral to the foramen rotundum. This foramen is also known as emissary sphenoidal foramen. The aim of the research was to determine the anatomical characteristics of the foramen Vesalius in adult human skulls and foramina classification according to their type, shape, and sex distribution. Material and Methods. The study included 26 dry adult human skulls of both sexes from the collection of the Depart?ment of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Novi Sad. The skulls were macroscopically analyzed according to the presence or absence of the foramen Vesalius. Results. The foramen Vesalius was found in 16 skulls (61.54%) and it was absent in 10 skulls (38.46%). The incidence of bilateral and unilateral foramen Vesalius was 87.5% (14 skulls) and 12.5% (2 skulls), respectively. The foramen Vesalius was found in 10 male skulls (62.5%) and in 6 female skulls (37.5%). Conclusion. Based on the morphological analysis of the skulls, the study showed that the foramen of Vesalius can be unilateral or bilateral. The bilateral foramen was more common and it was usually round and symmetrical. In regard to the sex prevalence, the foramen was more prevalent in male than in female skulls. The results of the study showed that foramen Vesalius is not an uncommon anatomical variation, and its presence and morphological appearance are important information for physicians in various fields.

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Background/ Aim. Recent studies have shown that process of aortic calcification is often active and closely related to the formation of bone tissue in calcific aortic stenosis. The aim was to analyze the demographic characteristics of patients with calcified aortic stenosis, the most common symptoms, comorbidities and risk factors, incidence of bone and cartilage metaplasia and its possible association with the present comorbidities, as well as its clinical importance. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 115 patients reffered to the University Hospital from January 2013 to December 2015. Results. Calcific aortic stenosis occured more frequently in males. The average age of patients was 67.3 years. The majority of patients were non-smokers, overweight. The most common clinical symptoms were fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain. Eighteen patients (15.6%) had no symptoms. Seventeen patients (14.8%) had cartilaginous and osseous metaplasia. Gender, age, smoking and BMI (Body Mass Index) had the same distribution among patients with and without metaplasia. Metaplasia was equally prevalent among patients with moderate, severe and critical aortic stenosis. Conclusions. Age, sex, smoking, BMI and blood pressure values are not risk factors neither for osseous nor for cartilaginous metaplasia.