Computed tomography based measurement of the dimensions of foramen ovale and rotundum in trigeminal neuralgia.
OBJECTIVE
To compare sizes of the foramen ovale and 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 on coronal sections on CT images were examined.


RESULTS
The mean sizes of the foramen rotundum on the right and left sides were 3.04 x 3.2 mm and 2.8 x 2.9 mm in TN patients, and 2.4 x 3.2 mm and 2.5 x 3.1 mm in controls. The mean sizes of the foramen ovale on the right and left sides were 4.8 x 6.04 mm and 4.9 x 5.5 mm in TN patients, and 3.7 x 8.2 mm and 4.1 x 7.6 mm in controls. The dimensions of left and right foramens were not significantly different in both TN patients and controls (p > 0.05). Furthermore, a statistically significant difference was not found between the foraminal dimensions of the TN patients and controls (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed that the sizes of foramen ovale and rotundum are highly symmetrical in both groups, suggesting that sizes of the foramina are not associated with the occurrence of TN.
Erbagci
Hulya
H
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey. ierbagci@yahoo.com
Kizilkan
Nese
N
Sirikci
Akif
A
Yigiter
Remzi
R
Aksamoglu
Melih
M
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D054085:Foramen Ovale / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013100:Sphenoid Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D055815:Young Adult