The pterion in Turkish male skulls.

This study was conducted to determine the location and type of pterion in Turkish males. The importance of the pterion is its relation to the middle meningeal artery, Broca's motor speech area on the left side, and surgical interventions relating to pathologies of the sphenoid ridge and optic canal. Specific measurements were taken on both sides of 26 Turkish human male skulls, none of which showed any obvious pathology or trauma. The sphenoparietal type of pterion was the most common (96% right side, 79% left side), followed by the frontotemporal (4% right side, 17% left side), and finally the epipteric type (4% left side only). The distances on the right and left sides respectively from the center of the pterion to the frontozygomatic suture were 3.30+/-0.40 cm and 3.44+/-0.39 cm, to the zygomatic arch 4.05+/-0.39 cm and 3.85+/-0.25 cm, to the optic canal 4.39+/-0.40 cm and 4.36+/-0.40 cm, and to the sphenoid ridge 1.40+/-0.33 cm and 1.48+/-0.32 cm. The thickness of the skull at the center of the pterion was 0.41+/-0.14 cm and 0.39+/-0.12 cm on the right and left sides respectively. These findings should be of use in surgical approaches and interventions via the pterion.