Bilateral Epiteric bones at the Pterion and along Squamosal Suture-A rare Variation.

Abstract

Epiteric bones, also known as sutural or wormian bones are small irregular accessory bones found commonly in the vault of skull within the sutures. These bones are actually the detached portions of the primary ossification centres of the adjacent membrane bones. They are most commonly found in the lambdoid suture posteriorly. The next common site is the anterolateral fontenella or at the pterion. Rarely, they are found in the coronal, sagittal and squamosal sutures. The present dry adult human skull specimen taken from Department of Anatomy, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Vallah (Amritsar) showed bilateral multiple sutural bones at the pterion and along the squamosal suture. On the left side they were comparatively more in number than the right side. No other variation was seen in the specimen. The knowledge of such rare variation can alert the neurosurgeons, radiologists, neuroanatomists to distinguish the epiteric bones from the fractures during their clinical practice.

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