Clinical importance of the relationship between parietal foramen variations and the sagittal suture

This study aims to determine the prevalence, number, and localization of the parietal foramen in relation to the sagittal suture. Forty skulls (80 parietal bones), whose age and sex were unknown, from the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, were studied. Morphometric measurements were performed using a digital caliper. The presence of the parietal foramen and its number, localization, and distance from the sagittal suture were evaluated in this study. SPSS v.20 software was used for statistical analysis. In addition to descriptive statistical methods, the Mann–Whitney U-test was used to evaluate the quantitative data. The parietal foramen was not detected in 19 skulls (47.5%) but was observed unilaterally in 10 skulls (25%) and bilaterally in 11 skulls (27.5%). The parietal foramen was detected in 32 parietal bones (40%). Furthermore, it was observed as single in 30 parietal bones (37.5%) and as double in 2 parietal bones (2.5%); however, the triple parietal foramen was not detected. There were no double foramens in the right parietal bone. The foramen was not observed in 48 (60%) of the parietal bones. The mean distance between the parietal foramen and sagittal suture was as 7.42 ± 5.64 mm. No statistically significant differences were detected between the parietal foramina in terms of their distances to the sagittal suture on either the right or left side (P > .05). Knowledge of the localization of the parietal foramen and its relationship with the sagittal suture helps understand the relationship between the dural venous sinuses and scalp veins. Furthermore, an understanding of these variations may aid in the detection of congenital anomalies. We believe that the results of this study will contribute important morphometric data for anatomists and clinicians.