Foramen of Vesalius – constant or variable foramen

Abstract

Introduction/Objective The foramen of Vesalius is a variable foramen located at the base of the skull, anteromedial to the foramen ovale, and lateral to the foramen rotundum. Through this foramen, passes one of the emissary veins, which establishes communication between the cavernous sinus and the pterygoid plexus. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of this foramen in adults depending on gender, along with the number of foramina, distributions relative to the side of the skull and diameter of the foramen.

Methods A material used in the study were digital computed tomography (CT) scans of adult paranasal cavities from the archives of the Radiology Center, archived in the PACS software system. We analyzed axial CT sections of 1 mm thickness. The research included 500 subjects (250 males and 250 females).

Results The foramen of Vesalius was present in 67.6% of respondents. In 50.9% cases, the foramen was bilateral and in 49.1% it was unilateral. The average oblique diameter of the foramen in men was 1.75 ± 0.59 mm and in women 1.56 ± 0.48 mm. In 22 subjects (6.51%) the foramina were doubled, and in two (0.60%) they were tripled.

Conclusion There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of the foramen of Vesalius concerning gender. The mean diameter of the foramen was statistically higher in males. The presence of this foramen is important for neurosurgeons because, during the percutaneous trigeminal rhizotomy, the needle can pass through this foramen, injure the surrounding blood vessels, and lead to intracranial hemorrhage.

Keywords: foramen of Vesalius; CT scans; subjects; mean diameter