Structure and Individual Anatomical Variability of the Lobules VI-VII of the Human Cerebellum

Morphological changes of the cerebellar lobules are found in many congenital and acquired diseases of the cerebellum. However, the information towards the normal structure of the cerebellar lobules do not take into account individual anatomical variability peculiarities, sex and age characteristics. The purpose of the study is to examine the peculiarities of the structure and individual anatomical variability of the lobules VI-VII of the cerebellar hemispheres and their dependence on the structure of the corresponding lobules of the cerebellar vermis. Materials and methods. Research was conducted in Kharkiv Regional Bureau of Forensic Medicine. The study was carried out on 100 cerebella of people of both sexes (men – 62, women – 38), 20-95 years old, died of causes not related to the central nervous system pathology. The peculiarities of the form and the relative arrangement of the VI-VII cerebellar lobules on serial parasagittal sections were examined. Results. It was established that the principle of medio-lateral continuity of the structure of the cerebellum segments is retained only in 52% of the investigated objects. In 48% of observations, the superior semilunar lobule was not connected with folium vermis, but pass into two separate folia. The lobule VIIAf may depart from the main trunk of the lobules VI, VIIAt, from the point of separation of their common trunk or from the lobule VIIA of the opposite side. The lobule VIIAf or Crus I may begin with a median sagittal plane or at a distance of 5-10 mm from the median sagittal plane; sometimes this lobule begins in the opposite hemisphere at a distance of -5 mm from the median sagittal plane. The place of beginning of the Crus I depends on width of the cerebellum. The lobules VI-VII of the hemispheres are connected with the corresponding vermal lobules, but do not depend on their shape. Three variants of the placement of the lobules VI-VII in the paravermal region were described: the 1st: Crus I is located in the proximal region of the main trunk; lobule H VIIB is located in the distal region (left hemisphere – 41%, right – 39%); 2nd: Crus I is located in the distal region of the main trunk, lobule H VIIB is located in the proximal region (left – 46%, right – 47%); 3rd: Crus I and lobule H VIIB leave the common trunk in one place (left – 13%, right – 14%). Conclusion. Described variants of the cerebellar lobules and fractal dimension can be used as criteria for modern diagnosis techniques of various diseases of the CNS. The data can be used as the basis for atlases of serial sections of the cerebellum.