Aims:  The study of foramen Ovale is of great surgical importance in procedures like percutaneous trigeminal rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia, electroencephalographic analysis for seizure and diagnostic transfacial fine needle aspiration technique in perineural spread of tumour. Localization of the foramen ovale can be difficult due to imaging quality (improved by biplanar radiology systems), operator inexperience and anatomical variations. Methods and Material: The present study was conducted on 38 dry adult, human skulls of unknown sex obtained from Bone Bank of the Department of Anatomy, IIMSR, Warudi, Jalna. In this study, presence of anatomic variations in shape of foramen ovale was noted. The length and width of foramen were measured. Comparison between right and left was done. Results: Mean length of foramen ovale was 7.27mm and mean width was 3.18mm. There was no statistical significant difference between means of the length and width of the right and left  sided. It’s shape was typically oval in 19, almond in 10, round in 6 and slit like in 3 skulls. Conclusions: These anatomical variations in size and shape of foramen ovale should be borne in mind during the surgical and diagnostic importance around the foramen ovale.  

Keywords: Foramen Ovale; Foramena of Skull; Anatomical Variation.