Ithambo le-occipital (elivela ku-Latin occipitalis yasendulo, livela olimini lwesiLatini olungezansi, i-occiput, livela ku-caput, okusho ikhanda) liyithambo elikhona esakhiweni samathambo ekhanda, futhi ikakhulukazi ezingeni logebhezi lobuchopho.

Isikhundla. Ithambo le-occipital liyithambo eliqukethwe kugebhezi lobuchopho, enye yezingxenye ezimbili zogebhezi ezakha i-cranium futhi zimboze ubuchopho1,2. I-Ovoid isesimweni, ukhakhayi lwe-cerebral lunamathambo ayisishiyagalombili phakathi kwabo lapho selukhulile, futhi luhlukaniswe lwaba izingxenye ezimbili:

• i-calvaria eyakha ingxenye engenhla noma i-vault,
• isisekelo esakha ingxenye engezansi.

Kutholakala ngaphakathi kwe-calvaria kanye nesisekelo, ithambo le-occipital lihlanganiswe namathambo ahlukene ogebhezi lobuchopho1,2:

• Ithambo le-sphenoid, ngaphambili ezingeni lesisekelo;
• Amathambo weparietal, ngaphambili nangaphakathi unayoi-veau de la calvaria;
• Amathambo wesikhashana, ngaphambili nangasemuva ezingeni le-calvaria.

Ukwakheka. Ithambo le-occipital lixhumanisa umgodi we-cranial nomsele we-cerebral, oqukethe umgogodla, ngenxa ye-foramen magnum, imbobo etholakala ezansi kwethambo le-occipital. Ngasohlangothini ngalunye naphambi kwe-foramen magnum, kuvela izinqubo ezimbili zama-condylar ukuzwakalisa i-atlas, i-vertebra yokuqala yomlomo wesibeletho (2).

Izindlela ezethusayo. Ithambo le-occipital lidlala indima ebalulekile ekuhambeni kwemigwaqo yezinzwa phakathi kobuchopho nentambo yomgogodla.

Ukuvikelwa. Ingxenye ebalulekile yogebhezi, ithambo le-occipital livumela ikakhulukazi ukuvikelwa kobuchopho.

Izifo ezahlukahlukene zingathinta amathambo ogebhezi, kufaka phakathi ithambo le-occipital. Izimbangela zalesi sifo ziyahlukahluka kepha zingaxhunyaniswa nokungahleleki kahle, ukukhubazeka, izifo ezikhubazayo noma ukuhlukumezeka.

Ukulimala ekhanda. Ukhakhayi, kufaka phakathi ithambo le-occipital ikakhulukazi, lingahlukumezeka ngendlela yokuqhekeka noma ukuphuka. Kwezinye izimo, ukulimala kwekhanda kungahle kuhambisane nokulimala kobuchopho.

• Ukuqhekeka kogebhezi. Ukuqhekeka yisilonda esincane kunazo zonke kodwa kufanele kubhekwe ukugwema noma yiziphi izinkinga.
• Ukuphuka kogebhezi. Ngokuya ngendawo, kunezinhlobo ezimbili zezintambo ezihlukanisiwe: ukuphuka kwesisekelo sogebhezi kanye nokwaphuka ngokucindezelwa kwegumbi le-cranial.

Izifo zamathambo. Ithambo le-occipital lingathinteka ngezifo ezithile zethambo.

• Isifo sikaPaget. Lesi sifo samathambo sichazwa ngokusheshiswa kokulungiswa kwamathambo. Izimpawu ubuhlungu bamathambo, ikhanda, nokukhubazeka kwe-cranial3.

Izimila zamathambo. I-Benign noma ebulalayo, izicubu zingakhula ngaphansi kogebhezi4, kanye nasezingeni le-cranial vault5.

• Ukuphathwa yikhanda (ikhanda). Isibonakaliso esivamile kubantu abadala nasezinganeni, sibonakala njengobuhlungu esiphongweni. Kunezimbangela eziningi zekhanda. Kungaxoxwa nodokotela uma kwenzeka ebuhlungu obukhulu futhi obungazelelwe.
• Migraine. Uhlobo oluthile lwekhanda, luvame ukuqala ngobuhlungu bendawo futhi luzibonakalisa ngokuquleka.

Ukwelashwa. Ngokuya nge-pathology etholakele, imithi ethile ingahle inikezwe njengama-painkillers, anti-inflammatories noma ama-antibiotics.

Ukwelapha okuhlinzwa. Ngokuya ngesifo, ukuhlinzwa kungenziwa.

I-Chemotherapy, i-radiotherapy noma ukwelashwa okuhlosiwe. Ngokuya ngohlobo nesigaba sesimila, lezi zindlela zokwelapha zingasetshenziswa ukubhubhisa amangqamuzana omdlavuza.

Ukuhlolwa komzimba. Izimbangela ezithile zobuhlungu bebunzi zingatholakala ngokuhlolwa okulula komtholampilo.

Ukucabanga izivivinyo. Kwezinye izimo, izivivinyo ezingeziwe zingenziwa njenge-cerebral CT scan noma i-cerebral MRI.

Ngo-2013, abacwaningi bashicilela encwadini yezesayensi i-Science ukuhlaziywa kogebhezi oluphelele olutholwe eDmanisi eGeorgia. Ukuqomisana cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyi-1,8 edlule, lolugebhezi kukholakala ukuthi lungomunye wabamele uhlobo loHomo ngaphandle kwase-Afrika6. Lokhu kutholakala kunganikeza imininingwane eyengeziwe ngesakhiwo sogebhezi ngenkathi yokuziphendukela kwemvelo.