[Pneumatization of the mastoid process in medieval and contemporary skulls in light of radiologic and anthropometric measurements].

Pneumatization and morphogenesis of the temporal mastoid process take place concurrently and exhibit noticeable variability. The mastoid process is phylogenetically the youngest part of the skull. The aim of this work was to examine the pneumatization of the mastoid process in mediaeval and contemporary skulls using radiological and anthropometric methods. 85 male skulls from the second half of the 20th century were compared with 102 male and 50 female skulls from the Middle Ages. Bilateral X-ray images of mastoid processes according to Schuller were obtained and anthropometric measurements were done. Planimetry was used to obtain the air cell area of the mastoid processes. Correlations between several parameters of the temporal bone, facial bones, cranial bones and pneumatization of the mastoid process were studied. X-ray images revealed four types of the mastoid process: pneumatic, mixed, sclerotic, and apneumatic. The pneumatic mastoid process prevailed in every group of skulls. The mixed type was the least frequent in mediaeval female skulls and most frequent in contemporary male skulls. The apneumatic type was the rarest one in all groups of skulls. The largest surface area of mastoid air cell system was found in contemporary male and the smallest in mediaeval female skulls (Fig. 5). An asymmetry between left and right processes was observed in mediaeval and contemporary skulls, being more evident in the latter. No correlation was found between anthropometric parameters of the skull and the extent of pneumatization of the mastoid process.