SUMMARY
The purpose of the presented study was to study the sexual characteristics of the diameter of the mastoid segment of the facial canal in skulls with different width indices. Material and methods. The study is based on a retrospective analysis of 133 tomograms taken from the archive of the Department of Radiology of the Educational and Surgical Clinic, Department of Radiation Diagnostics and Therapy of the Azerbaijan Medical University. The study material was divided into groups depending on the type of skull and gender. The width index was calculated as a percentage of the width of the skull to the length, determined in sagittal and coronary projections on tomogram sections, and was divided into 3 groups: brachycrane – wide skulls, dolichocrane – long skulls and mesocrane – middle skulls. The figures obtained were recorded and subjected to statistical analysis. The results of the study showed that the difference in the diameter of the mastoid segment in men and women is found in brachycrane-shaped skulls, and the values of diameter indicators are greater in women than in men. In women, the largest diameter on the left side is observed in brachycrane-type skulls, and the smallest diameter is on the same side in mesocrane-type skulls. The difference between the two groups is also significantly observed in women. Thus, a comparison of the brachycrane and dolichocrane types of skulls revealed differences on both sides, and a comparison of the brachycrane and mesocrane types of skulls on the left side. Conclusion. Statistical analysis of the mastoid segment diameter indicators revealed that this indicator differs depending on the type of skull, gender and has a certain degree of asymmetry. Thus, this indicator is higher in women of brachycrane and dolichocrane skulls than in men, and is also accompanied by asymmetry and statistically significant in brachycrane skulls.
Keywords: facial nerve, facial canal, brachycrane, dolichocrane, mesocrane

---

REFERENCES

1. Schart-Morén N, Larsson S, Rask-Andersen H, Li H. Anatomical Characteristics of Facial Nerve and Cochlea Interaction // Audiol Neurootol. 2017;22(1):41-49. doi: 10.1159/000475876. Epub 2017 Jun 20. PMID: 28628917.
2. Ho ML, Juliano A, Eisenberg RL, Moonis G. Anatomy and pathology of the facial nerve // Am J Roentgenol. 2015 Jun;204(6):W612-9. doi: 10.2214/AJR.14.13444. PMID: 26001250.
3. Hudson TJ, Gare B, Allen DG, Ladak HM, Agrawal SK. Intrinsic Measures and Shape Analysis of the Intratemporal Facial Nerve // Otol Neurotol. 2020 Mar;41(3):e378-e386. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000002552. PMID: 31917770.
4. Kalaiarasi R, Kiran AS, Vijayakumar C, Venkataramanan R, Manusrut M, Prabhu R. Anatomical Features of Intratemporal Course of Facial Nerve and its Variations // Cureus. 2018 Aug 2;10(8):e3085. doi: 10.7759/cureus.3085. PMID: 30324041; PMCID: PMC6171777.
5. Kefalidis G, Riga M, Argyropoulou P, Katotomichelakis M, Gouveris C, Prassopoulos P, Danielides V. Is the width of the labyrinthine portion of the fallopian tube implicated in the pathophysiology of Bell's palsy?: a prospective clinical study using computed tomography // Laryngoscope. 2010 Jun;120(6):1203-7. doi: 10.1002/lary.20896. PMID: 20513040.
6. Celik O, Eskiizmir G, Pabuscu Y, Ulkumen B, Toker GT. The role of facial canal diameter in the pathogenesis and grade of Bell's palsy: a study by high resolution computed tomography // Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2017 May-Jun;83(3):261-268. doi: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2016.03.016. Epub 2016 Apr 29. PMID: 27217008; PMCID: PMC9444754.
7. Yadav SP, Ranga A, Sirohiwal BL, Chanda R. Surgical anatomy of tympano-mastoid segment of facial nerve // Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2006; 58:27–30
8. Шадлинский В.Б., Абдуллаев A.S. Антропология с основами морфологии Баку, 2019. – 413 с.
9. Samson O. Antropometric study of the cranial parametrs using computed tomography (CT) scan to establish cephalic index of a sampled population in Calalabar, Nigeria // Global J. of pure and applied sciences vol. 25, 2019: 153-159.
10. Khanduri S, Malik S, Khan N, Patel YD, Khan A, Chawla H, Singh V, Gupta A, Shaikh J, Siddiqui S. Establishment of Cephalic Index Using Cranial Parameters by Computed Tomography in a Sampled North Indian Population // Cureus. 2021 Jun 3;13(6):e15421. doi: 10.7759/cureus.15421
11. Гафаров, И.А. Биостатистика. – Баку, 2021. – 238 с.
12. Vianna M, Adams M, Schachern P, Lazarini PR, Paparella MM, Cureoglu S. Differences in the diameter of facial nerve and facial canal in bell's palsy--a 3-dimensional temporal bone study // Otol Neurotol. 2014 Mar;35(3):514-8. doi: 10.1097/MAO.00000000000002 40. PMID: 24518410; PMCID: PMC4158913.
13. Bal KK, Alagoz S, Bal ST, Ozdas T, Görgülü O, Dilek O. Morphometric properties of the fallopian canal: comparison of two nations with different ethnic origins // Surg Radiol Anat. 2021 Nov;43(11):1851-1857. doi: 10.1007/s00276-021-02836-0.
14. Shin KJ, Gil YC, Lee JY, Kim JN, Song WC, Koh KS. Three-dimensional study of the facial canal using microcomputed tomography for improved anatomical comprehension // Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2014 Oct;297(10):1808-16. doi: 10.1002/ar.22977. Epub 2014 Jul 3. PMID: 24990524.
15. Li T, Lai ZC, Wang XD, Feng Y, Li YQ, Fang XD. Measurement and analysis of facial nerve on fully displayed multislice computed tomographic multiplanar reconstruction image // J Craniofac Surg. 2013 Jul;24(4):1411-3. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0b013e3182903673. PMID: 23851820.