Accessory Infraorbital Foramen: Prevalence in the Mexican Population by Tomographic Study

The accessory infraorbital foramen (AIOF) has been reported to have a prevalence of up to 47.6% in the global population. Cadaveric studies have observed that components of the infraorbital neurovascular bundle may emerge through the AIOF. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of the AIOF in the Mexican population.

A cross-sectional, observational, descriptive epidemiological study was conducted, analyzing skull computed tomography (CT) scans with three-dimensional reconstruction from 345 randomly selected Mexican patients performed between 2015 and 2022. The presence of the AIOF was assessed, including its area, location, laterality, and number. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0.

The presence of the AIOF was found in 17.8% (58 cases), with 11% in men and 6.8% in women. The majority of cases (73.9%) had a superomedial location. The AIOF was found bilaterally at 48.3%, on the left side at 41.4%, and on the right side at 10.3%. Of these, 96.6% were single, and 3.4% were double; no triple or quadruple AIOFs were observed. The average area of the AIOF was 2.9 mm².

Awareness of the presence of the AIOF is crucial for preventing inadvertent injuries to the infraorbital neurovascular bundle during procedures involving the infraorbital area, both medical and surgical, thereby reducing the risk of complications. The use of three-dimensional tomographic reconstruction offers more accurate and precise knowledge when planning these procedures.