Acta Anatomica Nipponica, cilt.73, sa.3, ss.223-231, 1998 (Scopus)
Mastoid foramen and some superficial bony canal on the outer surface of the mastoid region are of importance not only as an epigenetic variation but because of the vessels passing through it as well. On the other hand such a canal structure has not been described in classical anatomy textbooks. In this study, the presence, localization and number of both mastoid foramen and superficial bony canal and their relations with each other were studied in 358 male, 228 female, a total of 586 dry Anatolian skulls. The mastoid foramen was absent in 21.5% of the skulls. In its presence it was mostly seen on temporal bone. A superficial bony canal was observed in 45% of the skulls. Some correlations were also observed between the above mentioned structures.