SEXUAL DIMORPHISM OF PEDIATRIC SKULL MORPHOMETRY AND THE PREDICTION OF BI-PARIETAL DIAMETER USING RETROSPECTIVE DIGITAL X-RAY FILMS IN CALABAR, NIGERIA

Introduction: The knowledge on the morphology of the pediatric skull has proven to be very useful in medical sciences as it aids in diagnosis of certain head injuries/pathologies. This study is aimed at determining the difference in dimension between the male and female pediatric skull with respect to age as well as predicting the bi-parietal diameter of the pediatric skull using the anterior-posterior diameter and age as constants.

Methods: The research was carried out at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and Asi Ukpo Medical Diagnostic Center, making use of x-ray films in retrospect with measuring tools in order to properly measure and record data collected. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. There was a significant correlation between age and APD/BPD at p<0.05. A regression analysis was used to predict the bi-parietal diameter of the pediatric skull.

Results: Our study show that the male pediatric subjects have a moderately higher skull dimension compared to the females with a progressive increase in the dimensions of skulls of both genders as age increases. The regression analysis predicts the bi-parietal diameter and was validated using the equation.

Conclusion: In conclusion, we found that the male pediatrics skull dimensions are higher when compared to that of the female, moreover, the dimensions of the male pediatric skull is shown to grow at a faster rate than female subjects and the biparietal diameter can be predicted using antero-posterior diameter and age as constants.