Abstract
Variant foramina of the skull can lead to misdiagnosis on medical imaging and potentially, intraoperative complications if not appreciated. Here, we report an unusual foramen found superior to the frontozygomatic suture. The foramen was located on the left side at the superolateral rim of the orbit, 2.36 cm inferolateral to the supraorbital foramen. It was positioned 2.5 mm superior to the frontozygomatic suture. The foramen had a length of 3.1 mm and a width of 1.3 mm. The internal opening of the foramen was located 1.45 cm superolateral to the zygomaticotemporal foramen. We suggest that this foramen is a pathway for either a branch of the zygomatic nerve or lacrimal nerve and/or their vascular bundles. Although the prevalence of such a finding cannot be confirmed, such a case is of archival value as a comparison for future similar cases.
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Acknowledgements
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 [14].
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JP; writing-original draft, formal analysis, Investigation. JI; formal analysis, Investigation, methodology. NK; methodology, investigation, resources, writing—review & editing. ASD; conceptualization, methodology, investigation, resources, writing—review & editing. RST; conceptualization, methodology, investigation, writing—review & editing. Approval of the final version of the manuscript: all authors.
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Patel, J., Iwanaga, J., Kitagawa, N. et al. Unreported variant foramen of the frontal bone: the latero-orbital foramen. Surg Radiol Anat 46, 181–184 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-023-03273-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-023-03273-x