Morphometric changes in foramen rotundum before adulthood: a CT study

The aim of this study is to evaluate the morphometric characteristics of the foramen rotundum (FR) during childhood and adolescence using computed tomography (CT) scans, to identify age-related developmental changes, the effect of sex and bilateral asymmetry, and to present age-specific normative data. A total of 600 FRs were retrospectively analyzed on head CT scans of 300 individuals under 18 years of age (150 females, 150 males) from a Central Anatolian population. Cases were categorized into five developmental stages. Canal length (CL), mid-sagittal distance (MD), foramen width (FW), and foramen height (FH) were measured. Age was an independent predictor for all parameters ( p < 0.005), whereas the effect of sex was negligible (d ≤ 0.17). Mean MD was 12.5 mm in the 1–2-year group and 17.9–18.0 mm in the 14–17-year group, while mean CL was 4.0 mm and 8.5 mm, respectively. Regression analysis predicted approximately 2.8 mm greater CL and 3.5–3.7 mm greater MD per 10-year difference in age. The largest relative differences between consecutive age groups were observed in MD in early childhood, in FH around school age, and in CL in adolescence. CL, FW, and FH values were significantly higher on the left side ( p ≤ 0.001); asymmetry was highest for CL (5.65%) and lowest for MD (0.84%). FR morphometry exhibits marked age-dependent changes during childhood and adolescence; thus, adult reference values cannot be directly applied to pediatric cases. The age-specific normative data presented in this study may serve as a reference for the anatomical assessment of the pediatric skull base; their diagnostic and surgical utility requires confirmation in clinical studies.