The sphenozygomatic fissure

The lateral (temporal) wall of the orbit separates it from the temporal fossa and the anterior part of the temporal muscle. Within this wall, the sphenozygomatic suture joins the greater wing of the sphenoid bone and the zygomatic bone. We retrospectively documented in cone-beam computed tomography the anatomy of the orbit in a 56-year-old female and we found a previously unreported anatomic variant. The greater wing of the sphenoid bone and the zygomatic bone were separated, bilaterally, by a large unossified space which we termed the sphenozygomatic fissure. This was merged inferiorly with the inferior orbital fissure. A possible imbalanced mechanism of membranous ossification of both the zygomatic bone and the orbital surface of the greater wing could be speculated as a possible cause for such sphenozygomatic fissure. This previously undocumented anatomic variant is of high clinical relevance, since it may allow orbital fat to herniate (or bulge) toward the temporal fossa, it may be easily damaged during minor trauma and it should be carefully approached during the surgery of the orbit through the lateral wall

Three-dimensional anatomy of the transantral intraseptal infraorbital canal with the use of cone-beam computed tomography

The transantral or ectopic infraorbital canal (IOC) courses diagonally through the maxillary sinus (MS), thereby being exposed to risk during a number of surgical procedures. A few prior reports have presented evidence of a septa-embedded IOC, albeit only on single-plane slices. We identified this extremely rare variation of the IOC during a retrospective study of the cone-beam computed tomography files of 2 patients. In the first case, which involved a 34-year-old female patient, the canals and septa within the MS were bilaterally asymmetrical. On the right side, the sinus roof was attached to a short transverse septum that was traversed by the IOC, while the left sinus featured an oblique large septum that divided it into antero-superior and posterior chambers. The left IOC was embedded within the septum rather than within the orbital floor above the septum. In the second case, which concerned a 36-year-old male patient, the left MS featured an almost completely oblique/vertical septum that divided it into anterior and posterior chambers and also embedded the respective IOC, which was thus absent from the orbital floor. In both cases, infraorbital recesses in the anterior chambers of the MS were found that, if not documented on three-dimensional (3D) renderisations, could have been misidentified as infraorbital (Haller) cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to document the 3D anatomy of an extremely rare variant, namely a septum-embedded transantral IOC. Such a variant, if not adequately documented preoperatively, could divert the transmaxillary corridors down false paths or else expose the IOC to damage during surgical procedures involving access to tumours

Bifid and secondary superior nasal turbinates

The lateral nasal wall contains the nasal turbinates (conchae) which are used as landmarks during functional endoscopic surgery. Various morphological pos- sibilities of turbinates were reported, such as bifidity of the inferior turbinate and extra middle turbinates, such as the secondary middle turbinate. During a retrospective cone beam computed tomography study of nasal turbinates in a patient we found previously unreported variants of the superior nasal turbina- tes. These had, bilaterally, ethmoidal and sphenoidal insertions. On the right side we found a bifid superior turbinate and on the left side we found a secondary superior turbinate located beneath the normal/principal one, in the superior nasal meatus. These demonstrate that if a variant morphology is possible for a certain turbinate, it could occur in any nasal turbinate but it has not been yet observed or reported.

The anatomy of a horizontally impacted maxillary wisdom tooth

A completely horizontally impacted upper third molar was revealed after routine dissection of a 62-year-old human cadaver of a Caucasian male. The molar was penetrating into the maxillary sinus and there was antral dehiscence of its bony alveolus. The bony alveolus was immediately in front of the greater palatine canal contents, and the bottom of the alveolus was dehiscent towards the greater palatine foramen. Within the greater palatine canal and foramen the greater palatine artery was duplicated and the nerve was found. Such antral relations of an impacted upper third molar predispose to oroantral communications if extraction is performed, while the close neurovascular relations represent a risk factor for postextractional haemorrhage and neurosensory disturbances and must be borne in mind when deciding on or performing the extraction. (Folia Morphol 2008: 67: 154–156

Ternary configuration in the framework of inverse mean-field method

A static scission configuration in cold ternary fission has been considered in the framework of mean field approach. The inverse scattering method is applied to solve single-particle Schroedinger equation, instead of constrained selfconsistent Hartree-Fock equations. It is shown, that it is possible to simulate one-dimensional three-center system via inverse scattering method in the approximation of reflectless single-particle potentials.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, iopart.cls, to be published in Int.J.Mod.Phys.

More actors, different play: sphenoethmoid cell intimately related to the maxillary nerve canal and cavernous sinus apex

Abstract The sphenoid sinus is one of the most morphologically variable and surgically important structures of the skull base. Located below the sella turcica, neighbored by parasellar regions, such as the orbital apex, pterygopalatine fossa and lateral sellar region (cavernous sinus), it is clinically related to these and surgically relevant as corridor for various approaches. Moreover, at the sphenoethmoidal junction, important variations occur, most of these related to the presence of the Onodi cells and the intrasinusal protrusions of the optic nerve. That is why any identified and previously undescribed morphological variation at that level must be added to the well-established protocols, clinical and surgical. During a retrospective CT study of the sphenoid sinus anatomical features a previously unreported morphology was encountered and is reported here. It refers to a unilateral sphenoethmoid cell (SEC), Onodi-positive, not only overriding the superior aspect of the sphenoid but also its lateral side to get intimately related to the maxillary nerve. As that SEC expanded medially to the cavernous sinus apex, it altered the usual endosinusal morphological correlations and also added itself within the limits of the Mullan's triangle. It appears so that such postero-infero-lateral extended pneumatization of an Onodi cell alters the surgical landmarks and also can blur clinical pictures, by adding maxillary and pterygopalatine signs and symptoms

Potential energy surfaces of superheavy nuclei

We investigate the structure of the potential energy surfaces of the superheavy nuclei 258Fm, 264Hs, (Z=112,N=166), (Z=114,N=184), and (Z=120,N=172) within the framework of self-consistent nuclear models, i.e. the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approach and the relativistic mean-field model. We compare results obtained with one representative parametrisation of each model which is successful in describing superheavy nuclei. We find systematic changes as compared to the potential energy surfaces of heavy nuclei in the uranium region: there is no sufficiently stable fission isomer any more, the importance of triaxial configurations to lower the first barrier fades away, and asymmetric fission paths compete down to rather small deformation. Comparing the two models, it turns out that the relativistic mean-field model gives generally smaller fission barriers.Comment: 8 pages RevTeX, 6 figure

Toward understanding the post-collisional evolution of an orogen influenced by convergence at adjacent plate margins; Late Cretaceous-Tertiary thermotectonic history of the Apuseni Mountains

The relationship between syn- to post-collisional orogenic shortening and stresses transmitted from other neighboring plate boundaries is important for understanding the kinematics of mountain belts, but has received little attention so far. The Apuseni Mountains are an example of an orogen in the interference zone between two other subduction systems located in the external Carpathians and Dinarides. This interference is demonstrated by the results of a combined thermochronological and structural field study that quantifies the post-collisional latest Cretaceous-Tertiary evolution. The exhumation history derived from apatite fission track and (U-Th)/He thermochronology indicates that the present-day topography of the Apuseni Mountains originates mainly from latest Cretaceous times, modified by two tectonic pulses during the Paleogene. The latter are suggested by cooling ages clustering around ∼45 Ma and ∼30 Ma and the associated shortening recorded along deep-seated fault systems. Paleogene exhumation pulses are similar in magnitude (∼3.5 km) and are coeval with the final collisional phases recorded in the Dinarides and with part of the Carpathian rotation around the Moesian promontory. These newly quantified Paleogene exhumation and shortening pulses contradict the general view of tectonic quiescence, subsidence and overall sedimentation for this time interval. The Miocene collapse of the Pannonian Basin did not induce significant regional exhumation along the western Apuseni flank, nor did the subsequent Carpathian collision. This is surprising in the overall context of Pannonian Basin formation and its subsequent inversion, in which the Apuseni Mountains were previously interpreted as being significantly uplifted in both deformation stages. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union

Comment on: “Prevalence, Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile and Associated Factors of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis Among Pediatric Patients with Acute Pharyngitis in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia” [Letter]

Victor Daniel Miron,1 Oana Săndulescu,1,2 Mihai Craiu1,3 1Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; 2National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Balș”, Bucharest, Romania; 3National Institute for Mother and Child Health “Alessandrescu-Rusescu”, Bucharest, RomaniaCorrespondence: Victor Daniel Miron, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 127, Lacul Tei Street, Second District, Bucharest, 020382, Romania, Email [email protected]