The Morphological Grading and Comparison of Sutural Patency Among Cranial Sutures in Dry Human Skulls.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the degree of fusion (patency) among cranial sutures in human dry skulls in the Anatolia. METHODS: One-hundred fifty-eight human dry skulls that were accepted as adults according to the teeth eruption were macroscopically examined and photographed with Canon 400B (55 mm objective). The grades of fusion of coronal, sagittal, and lambdoid were quantitatively analyzed by using the modified grading scale. According to the extent of patency, the sutures were graded as grade-0 (open), grade-1 (fused but not obliterated), grade-2 (50%< obliterated), grade-3 (50% > obliterated), and grade-4 (100% obliterated). The authors determined and compared the rate for each grade of sutural patency on coronal, sagittal, and lambdoid sutures. RESULTS: The cranial sutures of 4 cranii (4/158; 2.53%) had grade-4 fusion, whereas there were no any cranii with sutures of grade-0 fusion. The number of each grade of fusion among cranial sutures of 158 skulls, in descending order, was as follows: 171 (grade-3), 145 (grade-1), 133 (grade-2), and 25 (grade-4). The grade-4 fusion was significantly less observed than the others. The grade-1 and grade-4 fusion of lambdoid sutures were established as the most (66/41.8%) and least (5/3.2%) common fusions among cranial sutures, respectively. The frequencies of each grade of fusion for each cranial suture were determined in a descending order: coronal (grade-3 > 2 > 1 > 4), sagittal (grade-3 > 2 > 1 > 4), and lambdoid sutures (grade-1 > 3 > 2 > 4). The frequency of grade-1 fusion of lambdoid suture (66/41.8%) was significantly different when compared with coronal (39/24.7%) and sagittal sutures (40/25.3%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The grades of fusion (or sutural patency) vary among cranial sutures.

Foramen arcuale: a rare morphological variation located in atlas vertebrae.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of foramen arcuale in dry atlas vertebrae which may cause clinical problems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-one dry human cervical vertebrae were examined. The evaluated parameters of two atlas vertebrae including foramen arcuale were as follows: maximum antero-posterior, transverse diameters and areas of the right and left superior articular facets and transverse foramina; maximum antero-posterior diameters, heights, areas and central sagittal thickness of bony arch forming roof of foramen arcuale, respectively. All parameters were measured with caliper in milimeters. RESULTS: Thirteen of eighty-one cervical vertebrae specimens (13/81, 16.05%) were atlas and the two of thirteen atlas vertebrae (2/13, 15.38%) had macroscopically complete foramen arcuale. Each of the two atlas vertebrae was including one foramen arcuale (one on the left and one on the right side). There was a statistically significant difference (p = 0.04) between the mean antero-posterior diameter of superior articular facet located on each side of atlas vertebrae, whereas not (p = 0.51) between mean antero-posterior diameter of transverse foramina. There was not any significant difference between the mean transverse diameters and areas of superior articular facets and transverse foramina located on each side of atlas vertebrae, respectively. Each of the areas of transverse foramina located on the same sides with foramen arcuale in two atlas vertebrae was less than the mean areas of transverse foramina located ipsilateral side with each foramen arcuale in thirteen atlas vertebrae. CONCLUSION: The present study provides additional information about the incidence and topography of the atlas vertebrae including foramen arcuale.

Morphological and Morphometric Analysis of Foramen Magnum: An Anatomical Aspect.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the detailed morphological and morphometric analysis of foramen magnum (FM) in dry cranii. METHODS: One hundred fifty skulls of unidentified sex were macroscopically examined and were photographed with Canon 400B (55 mm objective). According to tooth eruption of the skulls, they were accepted as adults. None of the examined skulls showed signs of prior cranial surgery, malformation, or trauma. The evaluated study parameters that were recorded with Vernier caliper in millimeter were as follows: antero-posterior diameter from Basion to Opisthion, transverse diameter (largest distance between the lateral margins of the FM), and the shape of the FM (Fig. 1). The shape of the FM was determined according to FM index that was calculated by dividing antero-posterior diameter by transverse diameter. When FM index was found greater than or equal to 1.2, the foramen was accepted to be oval in shape. Whereas the FM index was found less than 1.2, the foramen was accepted to be round in shape The area of the FM was calculated by using 2 different formulas as described previously by Radinsky (/4 × π × w × h) and Teixeira (π × {(h + w)/4}2), and "π" was accepted as 3.14 in both formulas. RESULTS: The results of descriptive statistics and areas of the FMs were presented in Table 1. The mean antero-posterior diameter and transverse diameter of anteroposterior diameter by transverse diameters were found as 34.38 ±â€Š2.38 and 28.95 ±â€Š2.19, respectively. The mean area of the FMs estimated by Teixeria formula was determined significantly larger than the mean area of the FMs estimated by Radinsky formula (P <0.001). According to estimated FM index of the 150 adult dry skulls, 87 (58%) of skulls were described as being round in shape and 63 (42%) of skulls were described as being oval in shape (Fig. 1). CONCLUSION: The surgeons must comprehend regarding the detailed morphological and morphometric features of FM to avoid vital complications during the surgical procedures.

Stereological Evaluation of the Optic Nerve Volume in Alzheimer Disease.

Optic nerve damage occurs in Alzheimer disease (AD) related to the loss of the retinal ganglion cells that contribute fibers to the optic nerve and reduction of the density of axons of the optic nerve. In this study the authors evaluated optic nerve volume changes and the relation between the cerebrum and optic nerve volumes in AD patients. The study evaluated the volumetric measurements of optic nerve by applying the stereological method on magnetic resonance images (MRI). It included age-matched study and control groups, which were composed of 20 patients with probable AD and 20 healthy subjects, respectively. MRIs were analyzed by using the point-counting approach holding Cavalieri principle. There were statistically significant optic nerve volume reduction and cerebral atrophy in AD patients when compared with the age-matched control subjects (P = 0.013, P < 0.001, respectively) but there was no correlation between the optic nerve volume and cerebral volume in AD patients (r = 0.326, P = 0.160). There was a difference between optic nerve volumes of AD and control subjects. The stereological evaluation of optic nerve volume is of importance for both clinicians and anatomists and it can provide valuable information in the evaluation of morphological changes of AD in vivo.

Comparison of the Effects of 13-cis Retinoic Acid and Melatonin on the Viabilities of SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cell Line.

OBJECTIVE: Neuroblastoma is one of common childhood tumors. Although its mortality is very high, there is no effective treatment yet. The aim of this project is to evaluate cytotoxic effects of melatonin (MLT) an endogen hormone and 13-cis retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) also named as isotretinoin an analogue of vitamin A on neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. METHODS: In this study, SH-SY5Y cell line was used. After cell culture, the cells were exposed to different doses of MLT and 13-cis-RA. 24 and 48 hours later. While the viabilities was estimated with MTT cell viability assay test, apoptotic indexes were calculated after staining with TUNEL based apoptosis kit. RESULTS: It was observed that MLT has very effective cytotoxic potential than 13-cis-RA on neuroblastoma cell line. At the same time, when MLT and 13-cis-RA were combined, this effect was potentiated. On the other hand, it was found that the effect of 13-cis-RA individually on neuroblastoma cells was very slight. CONCLUSION: We suggest that in the treatment of patient with neuroblastoma, MLT is very effective and also this effect can be augmented by combination with 13-cis-RA.

Anatomic features of metopic suture in adult dry skulls.

The metopic suture (MS) lies on the midline of the forehead and extends from the frontal bone to the root of the nose. The aim of the current study was to evaluate morphologic features of the complete and incomplete MSs of skulls in the West Anatolian population and rates of the suture types. One hundred sixty crania of West Anatolian people with unknown ages and sex belonging to the anatomy department laboratory of Dokuz Eylül University Medical School were examined. When the MSs that extend from the nasion to the bregma are complete, this condition was named as metopism. The length of the complete sutures was measured using a flexible millimeter calibrated ruler. If the suture was not present throughout between these 2 landmarks (nasion and bregma), these were considered as the incomplete MSs. The incomplete MSs were classified as linear, V-shaped, and double types. The incidence of the complete and incomplete sutures was 75%. The complete (metopism) and incomplete MSs were found in 7.50% and 67.50% of the skulls, respectively. The most common type was linear (39.40%), followed by double shaped (23.10%) and V shaped (5%). The mean length of the complete MS was 12.30 cm. Because the localization and types of MSs are important during clinical approaches, while evaluating patients with head trauma in the emergency department, these should be considered.

Evaluation of cerebellar asymmetry with vertigo cases: a stereological study.

AIM: We aimed to evaluate the relevant methods of stereology to estimate cerebellar asymmetry according to gender in both adult right-handed vertigo cases and healthy cases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 14 adult control subjects and 18 patients with vertigo. The volumes of the cerebellar hemispheres were determined on MRI using the point-counting approach of stereological methods. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SD) of the right cerebellar hemispheres in the patients with vertigo were 52.49+/-5.42 cm3 in males, 50.11+/-4.02 cm3 in females. The mean (+/-SD) of the left cerebellar hemispheres in the patients with vertigo were 53.11+/-3.70 cm3 in males and 49.73+/-4.69 cm3 in females. There was no significant quantitative evidence detected in terms of cerebellar asymmetry between sagittal plane estimates in the cases with vertigo in both genders (p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences by genders between vertigo and control subjects (p > 0.05). There was statistical significance only between right and left hemispheres in male control subjects (p=0.039) CONCLUSION: There was no cerebellar asymmetry between control and vertigo cases by gender. The stereological evaluation of cerebellar asymmetry or atrophy in humans in correlation with gender is of importance both for clinicians and anatomists. The technique is simple, reliable, inexpensive and unbiased.