Parietal Thinning

Biparietal thinning (previously known as involutionskrankheit, malum senile biparietale, senile atrophy, biparietal thinness, and biparietal osteodystrophy) is thought to represent a manifestation of osteoporosis in the skull. Histologically it represents loss of the external table and compensatory remodeling of the diploe. It occurs in about 0.5% of the population, more commonly in women and in older people.

Radiographically, it manifests as a sharp lucency in the parietal region on lateral skull radiographs and flattening or grooving in the parietal regions on frontal views.

References

• Bruyn GW. Biparietal osteodystrophy. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 1978;80(3):125-48.
• Cederlund CG, Andrén L, Olivecrona H. Progressive bilateral thinning of the parietal bones. Skeletal Radiol. 1982;8(1):29-33.
• Epstein BS. The concurrence of parietal thinness with postmenopausal, senile, or idiopathic osteoporosis. Radiology. 1953 Jan;60(1):29-35. No abstract available.
• Phillips RC. Cranial anomaly, pathology, or normal variant? Thin parietal bones in ancient Egyptian human remains. (January 1, 2007). Dissertations available from ProQuest. Paper AAI3292064.