Title : Clinical relevance of thickness and angulation of Lateral Lamella of Cribriform Plate-A Multidetector Computed Tomographic study

The morphometry and sexual dimorphism of lateral lamella of cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone provides assessement during various surgical procedures. This was prospective hospital based radiological study. Six hundred and forty four (644) Multidetector computed tomographic scans were collected from North Karnataka region and analyzed by using RadiAnt DICOM Viewer. The aim of this study was to determine the morphometry of the lateral lamella of cribriform plate of ethmoid bone. The thickness and angulation of lateral lamella of cribriform plate of olfactory fossa were calculated on both the sides in both genders. Statistical analysis was done by using Student unpaired‘t’ test. There was statistically significant difference in the angle of lateral lamella of cribriform plate when compared between right side (mean=106.25˚) and left side (mean=109.38˚) in males. There was no such difference among females. Statistically significant difference was observed in the angle of lateral lamella of cribriform plate in male patients (mean=106.25˚) when compared to female patients (mean=109.61˚). The thickness of lateral lamella of cribriform plate was not significant when compared between two sides in males and females. Hence, these variations in the morphometry of the lateral lamella of cribriform plate of ethmoid bone will be of importance for the surgeons in Functional endoscopic sinus surgeries and anterior skull base surgeries.