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Correlation of the external occipital protuberance with venous sinuses: a magnetic resonance imaging study

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Abstract

Purpose

To date, no study has explored the external occipital protuberance (EOP) using neuroimaging modalities. This study aims to characterize them using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods

A total of 96 patients underwent thin-sliced, post-contrast MRI. The sagittal images were analyzed.

Results

In 97%, the EOPs were delineated as a focal external protrusion of the midline region of the occiput with varying morphologies. In 89% of 93 patients with identifiable EOPs, parts of the intracranial dural sinuses were found to lie just below the inion, the most prominent point of the EOP. The most frequently targeted dural sinus was the confluence of sinuses that was found in 57%, followed by the superior sagittal sinus. In 16%, a bony foramen and transmitting vessel were detected in the EOP, connecting between the diploic channels and the subcutaneous veins. Furthermore, in 33%, bony foramina and transmitting venous structures were identified in the region just below the EOPs, connecting between the diploic channels and the subcutaneous veins.

Conclusions

The intracranial dural venous sinus is located just below the EOP with a high probability. Most bony foramina in the EOP and midline suboccipital region may transmit veinous structures connecting to the diploic channel.

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Funding

No funding was received for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurological Surgery, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, 2-1-1 Tomioka, Urayasu, Chiba, 279-0021, Japan

    Satoshi Tsutsumi & Hisato Ishii

  2. Division of Radiological Technology, Medical Satellite Yaesu Clinic, Tokyo, Japan

    Hideo Ono

Authors
  1. Satoshi Tsutsumi
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  2. Hideo Ono
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  3. Hisato Ishii
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Contributions

ST conceived the study. HO collected the imaging data. ST and HI analyzed the imaging data. ST wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satoshi Tsutsumi.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare regarding the materials or methods used in this study or the findings presented in this paper.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in the study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

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Tsutsumi, S., Ono, H. & Ishii, H. Correlation of the external occipital protuberance with venous sinuses: a magnetic resonance imaging study. Surg Radiol Anat 44, 999–1006 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-022-02969-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-022-02969-w

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