The persistence of a spheno-occipital synchondrosis in an adult
Adem, C.; Lafitte, F.; Jarquin, S.; Guillem, P.; Chiras, J.
Journal de Radiologie 80(8): 863-865
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0221-0363 PMID: 10470617 Document Number: 508150
The postnatal development of the central skull base is a complex process: at least 25 separate ossification centers are assimilated in the maturing sphenoid and occipital bones. Some synchondroses may only be partially fused and persist during adulthood. We report the case of a 30-year-old man with a penetrating trauma of the central skull base. Skull computed tomography demonstrated a rare anatomic variant: incomplete fusion of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis. Knowledge of the normal skull base development and of its variants may prove helpful in differentiating a post-traumatic injury from a normal variant.