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Reappraisal of the types of hypoglossal canal: endocranial approach

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Abstract

This study aims to classify the endocranial variations inside the Hypoglossal Canal (HC) and evaluate the elements of the HC region in terms of sizes, diameters, and distances to the nearby surgical landmarks. The present study was done on 18 adult human fixed cadaver heads bilaterally. The internal opening of HC was examined for the presence of dural or osseos septations in the canal and was classified into five types (Type 1–5). The dimensions of hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) and the distance of intracranial openings of HC from the jugular foramen and jugular tubercle were measured. The prevalence of endocranial HC types were determined on both sides as follows: type 1 (23.53% left, 6.25% right), type 2 (37.5% right, 5.88% left), type 3 (52.94% left, 25% right), type 4 (18.75% right, 17.65% left), type 5 (12.5% right). Understanding the endocranial HC types is crucial for neurosurgeons in the differential diagnosis of various intracranial pathologies for the posterior cranial fossa approach. Knowing the anatomical relationships between the adjacent structures and symmetrical organization of the HC according to the types is crucial in determining surgical strategies and preserving adjacent structures.

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Abbreviations

A:

Anterior

APA:

Ascending pharyngeal artery

BA:

Bacillary artery

BS:

Bony septum

CN:

Cranial nerve

CN V:

Trigeminal nerve

CN VI:

Abducens nerve

CN VII:

Facial nerve

CN VIII:

Vestibulocochlear nerve

CN IX:

Glossopharyngeal nerve

CN X:

Vagus nerve

CN XI:

Accessory nerve

CN XII:

Hypoglossal nerve

DS:

Dural septum

EV:

Emissary veins

HC:

Hypoglossal canal

HD:

Horizontal diameter

IAM:

Internal auditory meatus

JF:

Jugular foramen

JT:

Jugular tubercle

MO:

Medulla oblongata

P:

Posterior

rTEM:

Relative technical error of measurement

R:

Constant of reliability

SC:

Spinal cord

SPSS:

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

TEM:

Technical error of measurement

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Acknowledgements

For access to cadavers, we are grateful to the School of Medicine, Bahçeşehir University, Istanbul. The authors sincerely thank those who donated their bodies to science so that anatomical research could be performed. Results from such research can potentially increase mankind's overall knowledge that can then improve patient care. Therefore, these donors and their families deserve our highest gratitude.

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No funding or grants were obtained.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Bahcesehir University, 34714, Istanbul, Turkey

    Eren Ogut & Cagatay Barut

  2. Medical Faculty Student, School of Medicine, Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ugur Berk Akdag & Mustafa Faruk Kilincli

Authors
  1. Eren Ogut
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  2. Ugur Berk Akdag
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  3. Mustafa Faruk Kilincli
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  4. Cagatay Barut
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Contributions

EO, MFK, UBA, CB involved in the conception and design of the study, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data. EO and CB contributed to the drafting of the article and revising it critically for important intellectual content. EO, MFK, UBA, CB participated in the final approval of the version to be submitted.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cagatay Barut.

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Competing interests

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare the information contained in this article.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey, under the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki on 2 September 2020 with protocol number 2020–11/06. All procedures were executed strictly following the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Ogut, E., Akdag, U.B., Kilincli, M.F. et al. Reappraisal of the types of hypoglossal canal: endocranial approach. Anat Sci Int 97, 399–408 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-022-00661-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-022-00661-y

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