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Abstract
Anatomical variants are alterations of the form, thickness, length, width, position of organs and anatomic structures that can cause problems of a functional nature. They can be vascular, bony, muscular and more. They represent anomalies that may cause disturbances or do not cause changes in functions. The criminologist Cesare Lombroso had correlated the anatomical variations to the criminal tendency. The most emblematic case was that related to the alleged brigand Villella, on which Lombroso, performing the autopsy, found in the skull the so-called medial occipital fossa or a third dimple. He stated that the median occipital dimple was considered a sign of atavism, the expression of the criminal. In fact all the anatomical variants described by Lombroso are variations of normality. No one ever said that anatomical variants were a sign of crime. In conclusion, anatomical variants cannot be related to crime tendency, therefore the debated median occipital fossa is only and simply an anatomical variant.
Key words
Anatomy, anatomical variants, median occipital fossa, Cesare Lombroso.
Dear Editor,
The occipital bone is the main bone of the occiput, lower part of the skull. It is trapezoidal in shape and overlies the occipital lobes of the cerebrum. The base of the skull in the occipital bone contains the foramen magnum, which allows the passage of the spinal cord. From front to back there is the basilar part, at the sides of the foramen magnum are the lateral parts, and the back is the squamous part. The inner surface of the occipital bone forms the base of the posterior cranial fossa. The median internal occipital crest travels behind it to the internal occipital protuberance, and serves as a point of attachment to the falx cerebri.
The inner surface of the occipital bone presents four fossae or depressions. At the midpoint where the depressions intersect is the internal occipital protuberance. Near the center of the outer surface of the squamous part of the occipital there is a prominence, the external occipital protuberance....