Sinem AKKAŞOĞLU, Mine FARİMAZ, Hilal AKDEMİR AKTAŞ, Hakan OCAK, Ömür Dilek ERDAL, Mustafa Fevzi SARGON, Selma ÇALIŞKAN

Evaluation of Asterion Morphometry in Terms of Clinical Anatomy

Asterion is the junction of lambdoid, parietomastoid and occipitomastoid sutures and it corresponds to the location of the posterolateral fontanelle. It is close related to the location of junction of transverse and sigmoid sinuses. Mastoid process, posterior end of zygomatic arch, external occipital protuberance and lambda are bony features in close proximity of asterion. In the present study we measured the distance between asterion and each of aforementioned bony points. Twenty human dry skulls were included in this study. Distance between asterion and mastoid process was 43.65 ± 6.75 mm on the left side and 45.01± 6.04mm on the right side. Distance between asterion and posterior end of zygomatic arch was 43.97 ± 7.37 mm on the left side and 43.95± 7.02 mm on the right side. Distance between asterion and external occipital protuberance was 62.59 ± 8.83 mm on the left side and 54.75 ±5.57mm on the right side. Distance between asterion and lambda was 81.40 ± 7.36 mm on the left side and 82 ± 4.96 mm on the right side. In 84 % of the cases asterion was at the junction of transverse and sigmoid sinuses. In 12% of the cases asterion was below the junction of transverse and sigmoid sinuses. In 4 % of the cases asterion was above the junction of transverse and sigmoid sinuses. Asterion is the essential point to indicate safety zone for surgical approach and to determine sex and age. It is of great interest of anatomists, anthropologists, forensic experts, radiologists and neurosurgeons.

PDF

___

1.Ucerler H, Govsa F. Asterion as a surgical landmark for lateral cranial base approaches. Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery 2006; 34: 415-420.

2. Vrionis FD, Robertson JH, Heilman CB, Rustamzedah E. Asterion meningiomas. Skull Base Surg 1998; 8: 153-161.

3. Satpute C, Wahane A. To study the anatomical variation of asterion in human dry skulls in vidarbha region. Int J Sci Res 2013; 2319-7064.

4. Uz A, Ugur HC, Tekdemir I. Is the asterion a reliable landmark for the lateral approach to posterior fossa? Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 2001; 8: 146-147.

5. Lang J and Samii A. Retrosigmoidal Approach to the Posterior Cranial Fossa. An Anatomical Study Acta Neurochir (Wien) 1991; 111: 147-153.

6. Natsis K, Piagkou M, Lazaridis N, et al. Incidence, number and topography of Wormian bones in Greek adult dry skulls. Folia Morphol (Warsz) 2019; 78: 359-370.

7. Sudha R, Sridevi C, Ezhilarasi M. Anatomıcal Varıatıons ın the Formatıon of Pterıon and Asterıon ın South Indıan Populatıon. Int J Cur Res Rev, May 2013/ Vol 05 (09)

8. Madadin M, Menezes RG, Al Dhafeeri O, et al. Evaluation of the mastoid triangle for determining sexual dimorphism: A Saudi population based study. Forensic Sci Int 2015; 254: 244.e1-4.

9. Orish CN, Didia BC, Fawehinmi HB. Sex Determination Using Inion-OpistocraniumAsterion (IOA) Triangle in Nigerians' Skulls. Anat Res Int 2014; 2014: 747239.

10. Jaja BNR, Ajua CO, Didia BC. Mastoid Triangle for Sex Determination in Adult Nigerian Population: A Validation Study. J Forensic Sci, November 2013; 58: No. 6

11. Cirpan S, Aksu F, Mas N, Magden AO. Coexistence of Wormian Bones With Metopism, and Vice Versa, in Adult Skulls. J Craniofac Surg. 2016; 27: 493-495

12. Çalışkan S, Oğuz KK, Tunalı S, Aldur MM, Erçakmak B, Sargon MF. Morphology of cranial sutures and radiologic evaluation of the variations of intersutural bones. Folia Morphol 2018; 77: 730-735.

13. Rao TR, Rao RS. Anatomical Variation of Asterion in Human Dry Skull- A Case Report. Case Studies Journal ISSN (2305-509X)-Volume 5, Issue 5-May. 2016.

14. Havaldar PP, Shruthi BN, Saheb SH, Henjarappa K S. Morphological Study on Types of Asterion. Int J Intg Med Sci 2015; 2: 167-169.

15. Singh R. Incidence of Sutural Bones at Asterion in Adults Indians Skull. Int J. MorphoL 2012; 30: 1182-1186.

16. Basnet LM, Shrestha S, Sapkota S. Prevalence of wormian bones in dried adult human skulls: an osteomorphometric study in Nepal. Anatomical Science International 2019; 94: 101-109.

17. Deepak S, Dakshayani KR. Morphometric features of asterion in adult human skulls. Int J Res Med Sci 2015; 3: 1325-1328.

18. Ahad M, Thenmozhi MS. Study on asterion and presence of sutural bones in South Indian dry skull. J. Pharm. Sci. & Res 2015; 7: 390-392.

19. Mwachaka PM, Hassanalı J, Odula PO. Anatomic Position of the Asterion in Kenyans for Posterolateral Surgical Approaches to Cranial Cavity. Clin Anat 2010; 23: 30-33.

20. Galindo-de León S, Hernández-Rodríguez AN, Morales-Ávalos R, Theriot-Girón Mdel C, Elizondo-Omaña RE, Guzmán-López S. Morphometric characteristics of the asterion and the posterolateral surface of the skull: relationship with dural venous sinuses and neurosurgical importance. Cir Cir 2013; 81: 251-255.

21. Çırpan S, Yonguç GN, Sayhan S, Eyüboğlu C, Güvençer M. Morphometric evaluation of localisation of asterion for intracranial approaches posterolaterally. Ege Journal of Medicine 2019; 58: 108-114.