The foramen ovale is of great surgical and diagnostic importance in procedures
like percutaneous trigeminal rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia, transfacial fine
needle aspiration technique in perineural spread of tumour, and electroencephalographic
analysis. This study presents the anatomic variations in dimensions,
appearance, number of foramen ovale (FO), and presence of pterygoalar
bar and pterygoalar foramen.
For the present study ninety dry adult human skulls were utilised. Anterioposterior
(length) and transverse (width) diameters of FO were measured, and the
presence of pterygoalar bar and foramen were observed.
The most common shape of FO observed was like a figure ‘D’. The ranges of
anteroposterior diameter of the right and left FO were 8.5–4.5 mm and 10–3 mm,
respectively. The mean length of the right FO was 6.60 mm while that of
the left FO was 6.26 mm. The ranges of transverse diameter (width) of both right
and left foramen were 2.5–6 mm and 2–5 mm, respectively. The mean transverse
diameter of the right FO was 3.70 mm and that of left was 3.34 mm. Bony
spur in FO was seen in 6.66% of cases. A complete pterygoalar bar and foramen
were observed in seven cases unilaterally, and in one case it was bilateral.
Anteroposterior and transverse diameters of right FO were greater than left.
Anatomical understanding, including the size, shape of FO, and presence of
pterygoalar bar, has immense surgical and diagnostic importance. (Folia Morphol
2011; 70, 3: 149–153
