The subparietal and parietooccipital sulci: An anatomical study

Abstract

The subparietal and parietooccipital sulci are both located on the medial surface of the brain. Both of these sulci reveal significant variability in pattern and complexity. Both subparietal and parietooccipital sulci play an important role as surgical landmarks using posterior interhemispheric parietooccipital approach to lesions located adjacent to the ventricular trigon deep to the cingulate gyrus. The aim of this study is to analyze variations in the patterns of the subparietal and parietooccipital sulci and to emphasize their surgical importance. Fifty-six formalin-fixed cadaveric cerebral hemispheres from 28 adult humans are examined. Subparietal and parietal sulci patterns, variations and their relationship with the cingulate sulcus are studied according to the terminology introduced by Ono et al. The H-pattern was observed in 50% (n = 28) of all hemispheres, being the most common pattern of the subparietal sulcus. The Straight pattern was observed in the 30.4% (n = 17) of all hemispheres, being the most common pattern of the parietooccipital sulcus. Furthermore, more detailed results among the patterns, connections, side branches and the relationship with the adjacent sulci are given. Our study further confirms the complexities in the patterns of the subparietal and parietooccipital sulci and demonstrates that these sulci fall within an expected range of variations. Better knowledge of these variations will further help neurosurgeons to navigate easily during approaches involving the medial surface of the parietal lobe. Clin. Anat. 26:667-674, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pattern, variability, and hemispheric differences of the subparietal sulcus on multiplanar reconstructed MR images

“…The most common SPS pattern was the H-pattern (45.2 %) followed by the triple upward pattern (23.8 %) in this study. When we compare our results with previous postmortem studies, our results were partially consistent with the results of Gürer et al They also found the H-pattern to be the most common (50 %), followed by the triple upward pattern (19.6 %) [12]. However, the frequency of the other SPS patterns was different in our study than in the Gürer et al study.…”

“…SPS can be connected to only the cingulate sulcus or POS, to neither, or to both [12,23]. The most common connectivity pattern was no connection in our study (41.8 %).…”

“…Axial and coronal sections were used to verify the evaluation. The following morphological features were analyzed on each of the subject MR images using the previously described landmarks and terminologies [12,19]: the SPS patterns, the continuity of the SPS with the cingulate sulcus and POS, and the presence of upwardly directed SPS branches reaching to the hemispheric surface. Interindividual variability of the morphologic features, hemispheric asymmetry, and gender differences were evaluated.…”

“…Surgical landmarks including the SPS and POS are used to increase surgical success and avoid potential injury to the optic radiation and the visual cortex with this approach [24,28,29]. Postmortem studies have demonstrated that the SPS has extensive variability in terms of sulcal patterns and relationships with adjacent sulci [12,19]. Knowledge of the SPS morphology and its variations might therefore be important for neurosurgeons, and a meticulous analysis of individual anatomy using preoperative MR images might improve the success of surgery.…”

Parieto-occipital interhemispheric precuneal approach to the lesions of the atrium: experience with 66 patients

“…The anatomy of the medial parietal lobe and the safety and complexity of this approach have been previously shown by anatomical reports (11,22). Gurer et al (11) demonstrated the complexities in the patterns of the subparietal and parietooccipital sulci and they showed that these sulci fall within an expected range of variations. Good anatomical knowledge of the medial surface of the parietal lobe is required for surgical approaches through this region.…”