Author/Authors :
Erbagci, Hulya Gaziantep University - Faculty of Medicine - Departments of Anatomy, Turkey , Kizilkan, Nese Gaziantep University - Faculty of Medicine - Departments of Anatomy, Turkey , Sirikci, Akif Gaziantep University - Faculty of Medicine - Radiology, Turkey , Yigiter, Remzi Gaziantep University - Faculty of Medicine - Neurology, Turkey , Aksamoglu, Melih Gaziantep University - Faculty of Medicine - Radiology, Turkey
Abstract :
Objectives: To compare sizes of the foramen ovaleand rotundum in trigeminal neuralgia (TN) patients and healthy individuals on CT images.Methods: Twenty-one TN patients and 24 healthy volunteers were included in this retrospectively designed study, carried out at the Department of Anatomy, Medical School, Gaziantep University,Gaziantep, Turkey, between May 2004 and August 2009. The dimension of the foramen ovale on the cross-sectional images, and the foramen rotundum oncoronal sections on CT images were examined.Results: The mean sizes of the foramen rotundum onthe right and left sides were 3.04x3.2 mm and 2.8x2.9mm in TN patients, and 2.4x3.2 mm and 2.5x3.1mm in controls. The mean sizes of the foramen ovale on the right and left sides were 4.8x6.04 mm and4.9x5.5 mm in TN patients, and 3.7x8.2 mm and4.1x7.6 mm in controls. The dimensions of left andright foramens were not significantly different in bothTN patients and controls (p 0.05). Furthermore,a statistically significant difference was not found between the foraminal dimensions of the TN patientsand controls (p 0.05).Conclusion: This study revealed that the sizes offoramen ovale and rotundum are highly symmetricalin both groups, suggesting that sizes of the foraminaare not associated with the occurrence of TN.
