THE OCCURRENCE OF WORMIAN BONES WITHIN THE CRANIAL SUTURES AND THEIR CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Veeresh Kumar T.M 1 , Vivek Kumar * 2 , Nisha Yadav 3 . 1 Tutor in the Department of Anatomy,  Chirayu Medical College, Bairagarh, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. *2  Tutor in the Department of Anatomy,  Chirayu Medical College, Bairagarh, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. 3  Assistant professor, Department of Anatomy, Chirayu Medical College and Hospital, Madhya Pradesh, India. Address    for    correspondence:         Mr.    Vivek    Kumar,    Tutor,    Department    of    anatomy,    Chirayu    medical    college    and    hospital,    Bhopal,    (M    P),    India. Mobile:07415176681 E -M ail: vivek.purve@yahoo.com ABSTRACT: Introduction :   The   Wormian   bones   are   irregular   isolated   bones,   are   not   normally   present   within   the   cranial   sutures.   They   may   or   may   not   be   associated   with clinical   abnormalities.   They   appear   in   addition   to   the   usual   centers   of   ossification   of   the   cranium.   In   the   present   study,   the   aims   were   to   find   the   occurrence of Wormian bones within the cranial sutures in dry adult Indian skulls. Material   and   Methods :   The   study   included   50   human   adult   dry   skulls   of   Indian   population   which   were   obtained   from   the   Anatomy   Museum   of   Chirayu Medical   College   and   Hospital,   Bhopal.   They   were   examined   systematically   various   sutures   and   its   meeting   point   for   the   presence   or   absence   of   Wormian bones. Results :   The   Wormian   bones   were   observed   in   16   skulls   (32%)   and   remaining   34   skulls   (68%)   didn’t   show   these   variant   bones.   They   were   observed   at   the lambdoid   suture   in   44%   cases   (22   skulls;   7-right   side;   15-left   side),   at   the   asterion   in   6%   (3   skulls;   1-right   side;   2-left   side),   at   the   pterion   in   2%   (1   skull;   1- right side only), at the lambda in 6% cases (3 skulls) and at the occipitomastoid   suture in 6% cases (3 skulls; 2-right side; 1-left side). Conclusion :   The   present   study   observed   Wormian   bones   in   32%   of   the   cases   from   Indian   population.   This   incidence   rate   is   lower   compared   to   other   reports and   may   be   due   to   racial   variations.   These   variant   bones   were   more   frequently   seen   at   the   lambdoid   suture   and   were   rare   at   the   coronal   and   sagittal sutures.   We   believe   that   the   knowledge   of   Wormian   bones   is   of   importance   to   the   neuroanatomists,   neurosurgeons,   radiologists,   anthropologists   and morphologists. KEY WORDS: Wormian bone, Lambdoid suture, Bregma, Lambda, Asterion, Pterion. References 1 . Siddiqui   A   U,   Gandhi      K   R,   Daimi   S   R   H.   A   unique   presentation   of   parietal   notch   bone   with   coexisting   multiple   Wormian   bones   and   complete metopism. International journal of biomedical Research. 2013;04(10):571-573. 2 . Satheesha nayak B.  Presence of Wormian bone at bregma and paired frontal bone in an Indian skull: case report. Neuroanatomy 2008;5;42-43. 3 . Seema   PV,   Mahajan   A.Human   skull   with   complete   metopic   suture   and   multiple   sutural   bones   at   lambdoid   suture   –   a   case   report.   International   journal of Anatomical Variations. 2014;7:7-9. 4 . Kalpana SB Kemp SS, Oh KS.Radiographic manifestations of congenital anomalies of the skull. RadiolClin North Am 1991;29:195-218. 5 . Pryles CV, Khan AJ.  Wormian bones.  A marker of CNS abnormality?  Am J Dis Child 1979;133:380-382. 6 . Nayak SB. Multiple Wormian bones at the lambdoid suture in an Indian skull. Neuroanatomy 2008;7:52-53. 7 . A.K.Datta, Essentials of human anatomy (Head & Neck) Part –II, 2010;50-51. 8 . Bennett KA. The etiology and genetics of Wormian bones. Am J PhysAnthropol 1996;23:255 . 9 . El-Najjar   KA,   Dawson   GL .    The   effect   of   artificial   cranial   deformations   on   the   incidence   of   Wormian   bones   in   the   lambdoid   suture.   Am   J   PhysAnthropol. 1977;46:155. 1 0 . Shivaleela C,Kumar GV, Malipatil SB, Sandhya K, Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2013 April-June;4(2):584. 1 1 . Manjula   Patil,   Santosh   Sheelavant.   Sexual   Dimorphism   among   the   Wormian   Bones   in   Adult   Human   Skulls   J   indian   Acad   Forensic   Med.   April-june 2012;34(2). 1 2 . Parker CA .  Wormian bones. Chicago, Robert Press, 1905. 1 3 . Hess L. Ossiculawormian. Hum Biol. 1946;18:61. 14. Torgeson J. Hereditary factors in the sutural pattern of the skull. ActaRadiol 1951;36:374.