12mm wide parietal foramina: Morphological aspects and forensic application-A case report

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Anatomical Variations
• Human Osteology

Background:

• Enlarged parietal foramina (EPF) are a rare autosomal dominant anatomical variation, typically exceeding 5mm.
• While often asymptomatic, EPF has implications for human identification and differential diagnosis in forensic contexts.

Observation:

• This case report details bilateral EPF, each approximately 12mm, found in an adult male skull from Central-Western Brazil.
• The foramina were identified during routine anthropological analysis of a skeleton in advanced decomposition.

Findings:

• The EPF presented with blunt margins and bilateral distribution on the parietal bone.
• Key differentiating features from gunshot wounds included the absence of residue and radiating fractures.

Implications:

• Accurate identification of anatomical variants like EPF is vital to prevent misinterpretation in medicolegal evaluations.
• EPF can serve as a unique identifying feature when antemortem records are available.
• Increased reporting of EPF in forensic settings is needed to improve recognition and understanding.