MORPHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF THE MASTOID REGION IN DRIED HUMAN SKULLS: IMPORTANCE IN OTOLOGIC AND SKULL BASE SURGERY

Abstract

Background: The mastoid process, located behind the ear, plays a vital role in clinical and anatomical contexts. Its morphometric analysis is essential in forensic medicine, otology, and anthropometry. This study aimed to evaluate gender-based differences in mastoid morphometry. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar. A total of 102 adult dry skulls (60 males and 42 females) were included in the study. Various morphometric parameters, including mastoid length, medio-lateral diameter, antero-posterior diameter, mastoid process index, and intracranial distances (asterion to mastoidale, asterion to porion, and porion to mastoidale), were measured using standard caliper techniques. Results: Significant gender differences were observed. Males had a greater mastoid length (30.2 ± 3.4 mm) than females (25.1 ± 2.8 mm; p < 0.001). The medio-lateral and antero-posterior diameters were also higher in males (17.6 ± 2.1 mm and 20.3 ± 2.6 mm) compared to females (14.8 ± 1.9 mm and 16.9 ± 2.4 mm; p < 0.001). The mastoid process index did not differ significantly (p = 0.342). For intracranial distances, males had significantly larger measurements for asterion to mastoidale (48.7 ± 3.6 mm) compared to females (42.3 ± 3.2 mm, p < 0.001), asterion to porion (35.2 ± 2.9 mm in males vs. 31.7 ± 2.6 mm in females, p < 0.001), and porion to mastoidale (39.4 ± 3.1 mm in males vs. 34.8 ± 2.7 mm in females, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The study demonstrated significant gender differences in various morphometric parameters of the mastoid process, with males showing larger measurements. These findings have implications in forensic identification, cranial surgery, and other clinical settings. Further research is needed to understand the genetic and developmental factors contributing to these differences.