Enlarged parietal foramina: a rare forensic autopsy finding

Repair of Congenital Enlarged Parietal Foramina With Porous Polyethylene Implants

Enlarged biparietal foramina is an autosomal dominant disorder that is caused by a failure of completion of ossification within the parietal bones. Enlarged parietal foramina measuring more than a few millimeters are uncommon. Even though spontaneous regression has been described, closure is rarely complete, and depending on the size of the resulting defect, an unprotected brain is a concern. There are few reports on the surgical management of persistent enlarged biparietal foramina. This is the first report describing our experience with a custom porous polyethylene implant.

Emissary Foramina of the External Occipital Protuberance: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

OBJECTIVE

The posterior interparietal region is known to be a distinct area of the skull, predisposing to a variety of bony variants and congenital anomalies. The bony canals in this region have not yet been explored in detail. This study aimed to characterize them.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Overall, 82 patients underwent thin-slice contrast magnetic resonance imaging. Coronal and sagittal images were used for the analysis.

RESULTS

At the rostral limit of the posterior interparietal region, the parietal foramen (PF) and transmitting emissary vessels were identified in 84% of cases, mostly delineated as single channels. They were located in the left parasagittal region (PS) in 26%, lateral to the left PS in 33%, right PS in 40%, lateral to the right PS in 12%, and midline in 16% of the cases. In 4% of the cases, the PF presented an obstruction around the outer opening. In the more caudal part of the posterior interparietal region, 51% of the patients presented with fine bony canals and transmitting emissary vessels, lying in the midline and parasagittal levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The frequency of PFs may be underestimated for superficially hidden outer openings of the canals. The midline posterior interparietal region may present fine bony canals for transmitting emissary vessels that function complementarily with PFs.