Evaluation of Skull Morphometry in Computed Tomography Images and Calculation of the Cephalic Index

Abstract

Background: The percentage distribution of skull types varies considerably between societies. Skull typing is done according to cephalic index calculation. The aim of this study is to calculate the cephalic index by making cephalometric measurements on CT images obtained from people living in our geography, and also to reveal the percentage ratios of skull types and the difference between genders.
Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on computerized tomography images obtained retrospec-tively of 80 healthy young adults aged 20-40 years. Measurements were made in the sagittal and coronal planes.
Results: The mean values of skull length (mm), skull width (mm), and cephalic index were 182.09±6.67, 146.60±6.30, and 80.59±4.26% in males, respectively; 173.45±6.98, 140.41±6.53 and 81.07±4.48% in fe-males. Skull length and width were higher in males than females, and the difference was statistically signifi-cant (p<0.05). Skull type percentages in males 10% dolichocephalic, 37.5% mesocephalic, 37.5% brachyce-phalic, and 15% hyperbrachycephalic; it was found as 7.5% dolichocephalic, 42.5% mesocephalic, 27.5% brachycephalic, and 22.5% hyperbrachycephalic in women. The difference between the genders in terms of the cephalic index was not significant (p>0.05). The cephalic index was moderately negatively correlated with skull length and moderately positively correlated with skull width.
Conclusions: We believe that the data of our study will be useful for anatomists, anthropologists, archaeolo-gists, forensic medicine specialists, and head surgeons. It will also be important in terms of devices and tools developed for external use for the head and face region.

Keywords

• Skull types
• Dolichocephaly
• Brachycephaly
• Mesocephali
• Cephalic index
• Morphometry
• Anthropometry
• Cephalometry

Bilgisayarlı Tomografi Görüntülerinde Kafatası Morfometrisinin Değerlendirilmesi ve Sefalik Indeks’in Hesaplanması

Öz

Amaç: Pek çok canlı türünde kafatası ölçümleri ırkların ve etnik farklılıkların belirlenmesinde önemlidir. Ayrıca bedensel bütünlüğün bozulduğu doğal afetler gibi durumlarda, kafatası ölçümleri adli tıp bakımından kimliklendirmede ve cinsiyet belirlenmesinde önemlidir. Sefalik index, kafatasında biparietal çapın sagittal uzunluğa oranının 100 ile çarpılması ile elde edilir. Materyal ve Metod: Çalışma, sağlıklı 20-40 yaş aralığında 80 genç erişkine ait, retrospektif olarak elde edilen bilgisayarlı tomografi görüntüleri üzerinde gerçekleştirildi. Ölçümler sagittal ve koronal düzlemde yapıldı. Bulgular: Kafatası uzunluğu, kafatası genişliği ve sefalik indeks ortalama değerleri, sırasıyla, erkeklerde 182.09±6.67, 146.60±6.30 ve %80.59±4.26; kadınlarda 173.45±6,98, 140.41±6.53 ve %81.07±4.48 bulundu. Kafatası uzunluğu ve genişliği erkeklerde kadınlara göre daha fazlaydı ve aradaki fark istatistiksel olarak anlamlıydı p<0.05. Kafatası tipi yüzdeleri erkeklerde %10 Dolicocephalic, %37.5 Mesocephalic %37.5 Brachycephalic, %15 Hyperbrachycephalic; kadınlarda %7.5 Dolicocephalic, %42,5 Mesocephalic %27.5 Brachycephalic % 22.5 Hyperbrachycephalic olarak bulundu. Sefaliks indeks açısından cinsiyetler arasındaki fark anlamlı değildi p>0.05. Cephalic index, kafatası uzunluğu ile negatif yönde orta düzeyde, kafatası genişliği ile pozitif yönde orta düzeyde korelasyona sahipti. Sonuç: Çalışmamızın verilerinin anatomistler, antropologlar, arkeologlar, adli tıp uzmanları, baş bölgesi cerrahları için faydalı olacağı kanaatindeyiz. Ayrıca baş ve yüz bölgesi için eksternal kullanıma yönelik geliştirilen cihaz ve aygıtlar açısından da önemli olacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kafatası tipleri
• Dolikosefali
• Brakisefali
• Mezosefali
• Sefalik indeks
• Morfometri
• Antropometri
• Sefalometri.

Kaynakça

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