Comparative analysis of sexual variability of morphometric parameters of the posterior cranial fossa, cerebellum and their ratios in adults

Abstract

Background. The relevance of this study is to study the variability of the structures of the posterior cranial fossa, cerebellum and their ratios related to the magnitude of the basilar angle, which are taken into account in neurorentgenology as predictors for assessing the mutual influence of bone and brain structures on the development of lesions of the cerebellum and brainstem. The purpose of the stude is to conduct a comparative analysis of the sexual morphometric variability of the parameters of the posterior cranial fossa, cerebellum and their ratios in individuals with flexibasilar type of skull according to MRI data. Materials and methods. The material of the study was 50 magnetic resonance tomograms of the heads of persons with flexibasilar type of skull (22 men and 28 women) of the I and II middle-aged period (22 - 60 years) without pathology of the skull and brain. The linear parameters of the posterior cranial fossa, the slope of the occipital bone and the cerebellum were studied by computer craniometry using a PhilipsIngenia 1.5T superconducting tomograph with further calculation of the calculated average values. Results and conclusions. The results of the study showed in men a significant predominance of the width and depth of the posterior cranial fossa, the length of the slope of the occipital bone, as well as the width of the cerebellum at the level of its posterior poles and the width of the worm compared with women. A comparative analysis of the ratios of morphometric parameters showed that the hemispheres of the cerebellum at the level of the posterior poles almost completely fill the posterior cranial fossa: in men by 90 %, in women by 89%, and at the level of its anterior poles – twice as wide. The length of the worm occupies more than half the length of the cerebellar hemispheres (52.8 % in men, 55.3 % in women), the width corresponds to more than 40.0 % of the width of the cerebellar hemispheres at the level of the anterior poles and more than 15.0 % – at the level of the posterior poles of the hemispheres. In men, the combined length of the large hole and the length of the ramp almost completely correspond to the length of the posterior cranial fossa and leave 94.4 %, in women it is 12.0 % less, with this ratio of linear parameters in both sexes, the length of the slope of the occipital bone occupies more than 50.0 % of the length of the fossa. The obtained results can be taken into account when interpreting magnetic resonance images, used as an anatomical justification for choosing optimal operational approaches to the structures of the skull and brain, taking into account the type of skull base.

Keywords

• posterior cranial fossa
• cerebellum
• flexibasilar type of skull base
• magnetic resonance imaging