Evaluation of Morphologic and Morphometric Characteristic of Foramen Transversarium on 3-Dimensional Multidetector Computed Tomography Angiography

Özet

AIM: To investigate the size and variations of the foramen transversarium (TF). In addition, to study the anatomical variations of thevertebral artery entering the transverse foramen of the cervical vertebrae.MATERIAL and METHODS: The images of 141 (90 males, 51 females) patients aged 18-79 years (mean: 52.7 years) were analyzed.As a result, 987 cervical spines (C1-C7) and 1974 foramina transversaria were individually evaluated. Each TF’s anterior-posterior(AP) and transverse diameter (T) was measured bilaterally from multidetector computed tomography (CT) images. The absence ofTF was considered as agenesis and a diameter of less than 2 mm as hypoplastic. Double foramina and incomplete double foraminawere also noted. We evaluated the levels at which the vertebral arteries entered the transverse foramina.RESULTS: The most frequent variation was duplication of TF, which was noted in a total of 88 (8.91%) cervical vertebrae. Agenesisof TF was seen in 37 (3.74%), and hypoplasia of TF in 26 (2.63%) cervical vertebrae. The vertebral artery entered into the transverseforamen of the 5th cervical vertebra from both sides in 4 (1.84%) patients. The vertebral artery entered into the transverse foramenof the 7th cervical vertebra in 4 (1.84%) patients. The vertebral artery entered into the transverse foramen of the 4th cervical vertebrain only 1 (0.45%) patient.CONCLUSION: We believe that the determination of foraminal variations could be an important guide for neurosurgeons andradiologists in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in this area.