Background: The pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) is a complex anatomical region containing critical neurovascular structures and serving as an important surgical landmark for endoscopic and transmaxillary approaches. Quantitative data on its volumetric and linear morphology remain limited. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate bilateral PPF volumes and linear dimensions using CBCT-based semi-automated segmentation, and to assess the influence of sex and age on PPF morphometry in a Romanian cohort. Methods: This single-center, retrospective pilot cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) study analyzed 50 patients (28 males and 22 females; age range 16–80 years). Semi-automated segmentation was performed using ITK-SNAP software, and linear measurements were obtained from multiplanar reconstructions. Results: Males exhibited significantly larger mean PPF volumes than females (right: 868.96 vs. 759.86 mm³, p = 0.018; left: 836.71 vs. 703.00 mm³, p = 0.003). Significant age-related differences were observed, with younger patients (≤40 years) showing greater volumes (right: 907.06 mm³; left: 845.90 mm³) than older patients (>40 years: right: 691.80 mm³; left: 675.45 mm³; p 0.90). Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary morphometric reference data on the PPF with potential implications for preoperative planning in maxillofacial surgery, endoscopic approaches, and regional anesthesia, pending prospective clinical validation.
Kui et al. (Thu,) studied this question.