Anatomical variations of the parietal foramen and its relations to the calvarial landmarks: a cross-sectional cadaaveric study

Abstract

Gaining new knowledge and establishing patterns of variability in cranial foramina, especially those that are small in size and significantly variable in their topography, their presence, and content, is important in areas such as neurosurgery, maxillofacial surgery, three-dimensional diagnosis, and minimally invasive interventions.It is known that the calvaria and the skull base contain numerous openings permeated with vital vascular or nerve formations. Detailed knowledge of the anatomy of these holes is important not only for understanding the local topography but also for the differentiation of nor mal and potentially anomalous structures. Many researchers believe that misunderstanding variations in such formations leads to frequent damage to blood vessels or nerves during active manipulation of tools around the areas with cranial foramina. Detailed anatomy of the emissary foramina is important for understanding epilepsy and risk factors for seizure development. Particularly important and vulnerable in such cases are the foramina of the skull, through which the emissary veins pass, connecting the dural venous sinuses, diploic canals, andextracranial veins of the head. Also in such openings, the arterial branches participating in the blood supply of the dura mater can pass. The parietal foramen (PF) is one of these important emissary openings that have practical significance. The PF contains the emissary vein, which connects the su perficial veins of the head and superior sagittal sinus and has a bilateral drainage function, which in pathological conditions can be a way for infection. In addition, there is a vessel that forms an arterial anastomosis with the middle meningeal artery and branches of the superficial temporal artery. This arterial anastomosis can be a source of significant bleeding in case of a craniotomy in the parietal area.