Pterion Its Location and Clinical Implications- A Study Compared

Abstract

Pterion a cranio-metric point has been described according to its location, type and relationship with the surrounding bony landmarks. Approach through pterion is mostly used to treat lesions of anterior and middle cranial fossa. Pterion ossicle or Epipteric bone are sometimes mistaken as a fracture at this point. AIM & OBJECTIVE: The study was set to explore the morphometry of Pterion in the human dry skulls of Uttarakhand region. The data may be useful for the anthropologists, forensic pathologists, neurosurgeons and maxillo-facial surgeons. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 40 dry human skulls of unknown sex collected from the department of anatomy of SGRR medical college. Instrument used for linear measurements-Sliding Caliper. ANALYTICAL TEST: Students 't' test. RESULT: Sphenoparietal type accounted 86.25%, frontotemporal 11.25% and stellate 2.5% collectively on the both sides of skull. The pterion is located 3.25 ±1.05cm behind frontozygomatic suture and 3.76 ±6.62cm above the temporozygomatic suture. CONCLUSION: Pterion is less likely to be diagnosed as a fracture site due to nonoccurrence of epipteric type of pterion in human skull of Uttarakhand. Pterion can be easily located with its relation to bony landmarks, and is most preferable approach in neurosurgery.

Morphology and Morphometric Analysis of Pterion With Its Neurosurgical Implications in Pterional Approach

“…Lee et al reported the incidence of epipteric type of pterion as 40.5% which is very high compared to present study [14]. Ethnic variation was observed in the location of pterion as the average distance from the center of pterion to mid-point on zygomatic arch was 37.40±3.92 mm in the present study, which was less than that mentioned by the Ukoha et al, and Eboh et al, in Nigerian skulls but similar to that reported by Suchit et al, and Hari Prasad et al, in north Indian skulls [6,16,17,19]. The average distance between the center of pterion to fronozygomatic suture, anterosuperior margin of external auditory meatus and inferior point on mastoid process of the present study were similar to the results of North Indian studies.…”

Morphometric Study of Pterion in Dry Adult Human Skulls

“…Results of current study are in line with Mishra et al 1 and K Epharaim Vikram Rao 2 Mwachaka et al [8] Apinhasmit et al [11] Kumar S. et al [13] Whereas mean values of present study are slightly less than those of Oguz et al [7], Ukohla et al [12] and Eboh and Obaroefe [14].…”

Estimating the Person-Specific Location of Pterion Based on Cranial Morphometry

“…The one with the highest incidence of these is the sphenoparietal type with the rate of 74% to 95.3%. [30][31][32] In classical anatomy notes, the location of the pterion, which is considered to be 1 cm in diameter, is described as approximately 2.6 cm posterior and 1.3 cm superior to the posterolateral margin of the frontozygomatic suture and 4 cm above the mid-point of the zygomatic arch. 26,33 The pterion was named as "high pterion" in case it is located over 40.0 mm.…”

“…The one with the highest incidence of these is the sphenoparietal type with the rate of 74% to 95.3%. 30-32…”