Ponticulus posticus on the posterior arch of atlas, prevalence analysis in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients of gulbarga population.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To investigate the prevalence and morphological features of Ponticulus Posticus (PP) in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients of Gulbarga population, to substantiate whether ponticulus posticus was the possible cause of chronic tension-type headaches and migraine. MATERIAL AND METHODS Five hundred patients were investigated with digital lateral cephalograms for the presence and type of ponticulus posticus. All the patients in whom ponticulus posticus was present in either partial or complete form were further studied for symptoms like chronic tension type headache, orofacial pain or diagnosed migraine. RESULTS Among the sample of 500 cases, partial ponticulus posticus was found in 302 patients (60%) (Males 48% and Females 52%). Complete variant was found in 40 cases (8%) (Males 65% and females 35% both, who were in the age group of 16-45 years), with a mean age of 28 years and SD 27.76 ±10.74. In partial PP, 42 patients (14%) were found to be symptomatic. In complete form, 32 patients (78%) were found to be symptomatic. Symptoms were mainly in the form of migraine or chronic type of headache. CONCLUSION According to our study, partial form of PP was found to be more prevalent as compared to complete form in Gulbarga population and complete form of ponticulus posticus can be considered as possible cause for chronic tension type headache, orofacial pain and migraine.