A Morphometric Study On Variation In The Position Of Pterion – Its Clinical Implications

The pterion is a very important neurosurgical landmark that provides access to various neurological structures like the optic nerve, circle of Willis, Sylvian point, middle meningeal vessels, cavernous sinus, and parasellar regions. The variation in the position of the pterion bilaterally was observed and analyzed in both genders. Methods: The study involved 47 male and 39 female skulls. The linear distance of the center of the pterion to the midpoint of the zygomatic arch and frontozygomatic suture was measured bilaterally in both sexes. The results were analyzed by using paired and unpaired t-tests and a bar graph was plotted. Results: The mean distance from the midpoint of the zygomatic arch to the center of the pterion is 37.86± 2.62 mm and 33.31± 1.2 mm in males and females respectively. The mean distance from the midpoint of the frontozygomatic suture and the pterion is 31.10±2.45 mm and 29.04±1.27 mm in males and females respectively. There was a significant difference between the position of pterion of both sexes. The p-value was less than 0.001. Conclusion: The position of pterion shows variations in the different ethnic populations. In our study, we found that the position of the pterion is higher in male skulls than the female skulls. With the advancement of technology, neurosurgeons prefer burr hole surgeries over craniotomy to approach the various neurological structures. The variation in the position of the pterion is essential for neurosurgeons for the pterional burr hole surgeries.