title: Morphometry, asymmetry and variations of the sylvian fissure and sulci bordering and within the pars triangularis and pars operculum: an autopsy study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Speech and Language, one of the most lateralized of all cerebral functions is located within the pars opercularis (PO) and pars triangularis (PT). There is also inter-hemispheric variability of the sulcal contours bordering these areas. The study was undertaken to note the morphometry, asymmetry and variations of the Sylvian fissure (SF), and the sulci bordering and within the PO and PT.
  
  
  METHODS
  An adult autopsy cadaveric study was carried. The measurements made amongst others, included fronto-occipital cerebral length, cerebral width, Sylvian fissure length, and anterior Sylvian point (ASP) to inferior Rolandic point distance. The PT and PO were also studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-two adult cadaveric hemispheres were studied. The SF length on the right (mean=84.3mm, median=88mm) was significantly shorter than that on the left (mean=89.4mm, median=92.0mm) (p=0.037). The anterior ascending and anterior horizontal rami of the SF arose from the ASP and either divides at this point (43 hemispheres, 69.4%) or have a common short stem before separating distally giving a Y-shape configuration. The triangularis sulcus was noted in 49 hemispheres (79%) while the diagonal sulcus was noted in 26 hemispheres (41.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The left SF was significantly longer than the right and both were positively correlated. The presence of the triangularis sulcus was not dependent on the side (p=0.348) or gender (0.622) unlike the diagonal sulcus was side dependent (p= 0.000).
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Division, Department of Surgery (Neurosurgery Unit), Lagos State University College of Medicine and Lagos State University, Teaching Hospital , Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria .
authors.forename: Olufemi Emmanuel
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Idowu
authors.affiliation: Forensic Medicine, Department of Pathology, Lagos State University College of Medicine and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital , Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria .
authors.forename: Sunday
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soyemi
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Division, Department of Surgery (Neurosurgery Unit), Lagos State University College of Medicine and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital , Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria .
authors.forename: Kazeem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atobatele
keywords: Diagonal sulcus; Pars opercularis; Pars triangularis; Sylvian fissure; Triangular sulcus