MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF JUGULAR FORAMEN AND SIGMOID SINUS GROOVE: THEIR POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS WITH HIGH JUGULAR BULB PRESENCE

Abstract. High jugular bulb represents very important variation in neurosurgery. The aim of our research was to measure certain characteristics of jugular foramen and surrounding bony structures in order to evaluate their possible significance in high jugular bulb detection. Thirty seven dried human skull sagittal sections were used as material. Sigmoid sinus groove width and depth, jugular fossa height and exocranial opening mean diameter were measured with vernier caliper. Internal auditory canal height and the distance between its inferior margin and superior margin of petrous bone, jugular foramen endocranial opening area and sino dural angle were measured with ImageJ. Cluster analysis with jugular fossa height as classification parameter was used for the classification of the analyzed skull sagittal sections. Classification analysis showed the presence of two groups: the first with predominantly low height of jugular fossa dome, the second with significantly higher values of jugular fossa dome, sino-dural angle and mean diameter of jugular fossa exocranial opening. This group predominantly included right skull sagittal sections. In addition, sigmoid sinus groove width and depth, jugular foramen endocranial opening area and jugular fossa exocranial opening mean diameter were significantly higher on the right in relation to the left side. So, it can be concluded that high jugular fossa dome is more frequently associated with sigmoid sinus groove anterior position, high values of mean diameter of jugular fossa exocranial opening and sigmoid sinus groove width and depth, especially on the right side. Key words: Jugular fossa, high bulb of jugular vein, groove for sigmoid sinus, morphometry