Cranial Measurement Indices in the State of Paraiba, Northeast of Brazil

Abstract

The population of the Brazilian Northeast is known for the tendency towards a different head format in relation to the ones of the other regions, characterized by brachycephaly. Various studies correlate this phenotype to craniocervical malformations, especially the basilar impression and the Chiari malformation. The objective was to determine the Cranial Index (CI) in specimens from the State of Paraiba and, compare our values to those of the studies found in literature. Materials and Methods: The CI of 166 articulated adult skulls, 101 male and 65 female, over 18 years of age, belonging to the Anatomy Laboratory of the Federal University of Paraiba (UFPB) were analyzed. Results: The CI in the male skulls presented an average of 82.3cm ± 4.3, and in the female skulls 82.9cm ± 3.2, significant difference (p <0.0456216). As for the cranial type: 2.41 % were dolichocephalic (narrow skull), 17.47 % mesocephalic (skull with median proportion), and 80.12 % brachycephalic (wide skull). Discussion and Conclusion: The present study proves the bradycephalic profile in the population from Paraiba, which presented higher indices than the Northern and Southern regions of Brazil, as well as those of other brachycephalic ethnicities. We highlight the need to extend similar studies to the other states of the Brazilian Northeast for a typification of the skulls of this region, with a deepening of its relations with the basilar impression and the Chiari malformation.

Craniometric parameters for the evaluation of platybasia and basilar invagination on magnetic resonance imaging: a reproducibility study

“…The shape of the skull can vary among different populations, being dependent on ethnic, anthropological, and geographical factors (10,11,13,29) . For example, brachycephaly is much more prevalent in certain regions, such as northeastern Brazil and Southeast Asia (7,9,13) . Since the 1970s, surgeons in Brazil have reported cases in which CVJ abnormalities and brachycephaly occurred in conjunction (12,29) .…”

“…In both of those countries, the reported number of surgical cases is among the largest in the world ( 10 - 12 ) . Studies indicate that type B basilar invagination may be related to the flattened conformation of the calvaria, or brachycephaly, a phenotype found in approximately 80% of the population in northeastern Brazil, a prevalence much higher than that found in samples from western Europe and the North America ( 10 , 13 ) . Since 2013, Frade et al ( 11 ) have been using MRI to evaluate skull samples from northeastern Brazil.…”