Bony Tunnel Formation Associated with the Distal Segment of the Frontal Branch of the Middle Meningeal Artery

Deivis de Campos; Caroline Haubert da Silveira; Geraldo Pereira Jotz; Tais Malysz

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1676353

Journal of Neurological Surgery Part B: Skull Base, Table of Contents

J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 2019; 80(05): 480-483
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1676353

Original Article

Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Bony Tunnel Formation Associated with the Distal Segment of the Frontal Branch of the Middle Meningeal Artery

Deivis de Campos

¹Departamento de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

²Departamento de Biologia e Farmácia, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil

³Programa de Pós-Graduação em Promoção da Saúde, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil

,

Caroline Haubert da Silveira

²Departamento de Biologia e Farmácia, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil

,

Geraldo Pereira Jotz

⁴Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

⁵Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

,

Tais Malysz

⁴Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

⁶Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

The knowledge of certain anatomical variations is fundamental and any surgeon who operates without that knowledge may encounter difficulty during surgery. In this context, there is the middle meningeal artery (MMA) which also engenders considerable clinical interest due to its location. The MMA is predominantly periosteal, irrigating the bone and dura mater. It enters the floor of the middle cranial fossa through the foramen spinosum, travels laterally through a middle fossa bony ridge, and curves anteriorly over the upper-greater wing of the sphenoid where it divides into parietal and frontal branches at a variable point. Occasionally, the distal segment of the frontal branch may pass through a bony tunnel of variable size. To the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence in the current literature on the incidence of this rare bony tunnel. Therefore, we decided to investigate the incidence of this bony tunnel in 85 dry skulls of adults (both genders) belonging to the didactic collection of the Human Anatomy Laboratory of the Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil. All the skulls were examined bilaterally for the presence or absence of the bony tunnel associated with the distal segment of the frontal branch of the MMA. Of the 85 skulls analyzed, the bony tunnel was present on the right side in 1.18% and on the left side in 5.88% (p = 0.045). Thus, in the studied sample, there was a significant tendency for this bony tunnel to be formed on the left side.

Keywords

middle meningeal artery - bony tunnel - embryology - skull

Full Text

References

References
1 Harthmann da Silva T, Ellwanger JH, Silva HT. , et al. Morphometric analysis of the middle meningeal artery organization in humans-embryological considerations. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 2013; 74 (02) 108-112
2 Bruner E, Mantini S, Ripani M. Landmark-based analysis of the morphological relationship between endocranial shape and traces of the middle meningeal vessels. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2009; 292 (04) 518-527
3 Moore KL, Dalley AF, Agur AMR. Anatomia Orientada Para a Clínica. 7th ed. Rio de Janeiro: GEN-Guanabara Koogan; 2010: 849-863
4 Standring S. Gray's Anatomia: A base anatômica da prática clínica. 40th ed. Rio de Janeiro: Elsevier; 2010: 431
5 Eisová S, Rangel de Lázaro G, Píšová H, Pereira-Pedro S, Bruner E. Parietal bone thickness and vascular diameters in adult modern humans: A survey on cranial remains. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2016; 299 (07) 888-896
6 Kornieieva M, Hadidy A, Zhuravlova I. Variability of the middle meningeal artery subject to the shape of skull. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 2015; 76 (06) 451-458
7 Gonçalves Neto DG, Aguiar GB, Veiga JCE. , et al. Pseudoaneurisma traumático da artéria meníngea média tratado por via endovascular. Arq Bras Neurocir 2013; 32 (01) 51-56
8 Shimizu S, Hagiwara H, Utsuki S, Oka H, Nakayama K, Fujii K. Bony tunnel formation in the middle meningeal groove: an anatomic study for safer pterional craniotomy. Minim Invasive Neurosurg 2008; 51 (06) 329-332
9 Melro CA, Araújo JF, Oliveria MA, Balbo RJ. [False aneurysm of the median meningeal artery: the importance of angiographic diagnosis. A case report]. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1993; 51 (03) 403-406
10 Kresimir Lukic I, Gluncic V, Marusic A. Extracranial branches of the middle meningeal artery. Clin Anat 2001; 14 (04) 292-294
11 Campos Dd, Jotz GP, Goulart GR, Malysz T. The clival canal. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2015; 73 (12) 1047
12 Kim DH, Lee JY, Jeon HJ, Cho BM, Park SH, Oh SM. Intraoperative endovascular embolization of middle meningeal artery and a pseudoaneurysm by using n-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate for hemostasis during operation of acute epidural hemorrhage. Korean J Neurotrauma 2015; 11 (02) 167-169
13 Liu Q, Rhoton Jr AL. Middle meningeal origin of the ophthalmic artery. Neurosurgery 2001; 49 (02) 401-406 , discussion 406–407
14 Kuruvilla A, Aguwa AN, Lee AW, Xavier AR. Anomalous origin of the middle meningeal artery from the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. J Neuroimaging 2011; 21 (03) 269-272
15 Lemire RJ, Loser JD, Leech RW, Alvord EC. Normal and Abnormal Development of the Human Nervous System. New York, NY: Harper & Row; 1975: 280-295
16 Seeger JF, Hemmer JF. Persistent basilar/middle meningeal artery anastomosis. Radiology 1976; 118 (02) 367-370
17 Manjuanth KY. Anomalous origin of the middle meningeal artery–a review. J Anat Soc India 2001; 50: 179-183
18 Ten Donkelaar HJ, Lammens M, Hori A. Clinical Neuroembryology Development and Developmental Disorders of the Human Central Nervous System. New York, NY: Springer; 2006: 202-203
19 Shah QA, Hurst RW. Anomalous origin of the middle meningeal artery from the basilar artery: a case report. J Neuroimaging 2007; 17 (03) 261-263