[The jugular fossa--observations in a Norwegian medieval population]

A high jugular bulb and fossa has been observed in cases of bleeding complications in neur-otologic surgery, conductive and sensori-neural hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo. Comparison of 311 skulls from the Oslo mediaeval material with data from other studies showed good agreement regarding the frequency of high fossae, dehiscences, and side and sex differences. The correlation (Pearson's r) of fossa size between the two sides, with the right as the independent variable, and also the correlation between foramen size and fossa depth was less than expected from descriptions in anatomical texts based on visual observations.