Study of pterion: Its clinical and morphological aspects

Introduction: Essential precondition for keyhole surgeries are accurate preoperative planning and placement of craniotomy tailored to the individual case. The pterion at temporal fossa is an important surgical landmark for the key hole surgeries to reach the deeper structures of anterior and middle cranial fossa like sylvian point hence broca’s area and corresponds to the anterior ramus of middle meningeal artery. Hence precise anatomy and anatomical variation of surgical landmarks helps preventing surgical complications. Also its morphological knowledge is useful for anthropologist and forensic specialists. Materials and Method: The study was done on 50 dry skulls from the Department of Anatomy, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bangalore. Result: Out of 50 skulls, spenoparietal type was more observed and stellate type was not observed in this study. The average distance from upper border of middle of zygomatic arch on right side is 4.02 cm and on left side is 3.99 cm and from frontozygomatic suture on right side is 3.42cm and on left side is 33.3cm. Conclusion: The current study reappraises the surface anatomy of pterion, incidence of its various types and hence morphology. This study supporting other studies conducted on Indian population other than some variation in incidence of stellate variety. This study showed incidence of epipteric only on left side, which is a surgical pitfall due to lodging of sutural bone in between sutures. So it suggests a careful approach through pterion on left side.