THE

CRANIAL

FOSSAE

MANNY HILARIO, MD FPSA

CRANIAL

FOSSAE

BOWL

SHAPED

LOWER

PORTION

OF THE

CRANIUM

FLOORS OR

DIVISIONS OF

THE CRANIAL

FOSSAE ANTERIOR

CRANIAL FOSSA

MIDDLE CRANIAL FOSSA

POSTERIOR CRANIAL FOSSA

ANTERIOR

CRANIAL

FOSSA

FORMED BY:

FRONTAL BONE

ETHMOID BONE

SPHENOID BONE

ANTERIOR CRANIAL FOSSA FRONTAL BONE COMPARTMENT

ORBITAL

PLATE

CONVOLUTIONAL

IMPRESSIONS

ROOF OF ORBITAL

CAVITY

FRONTAL

CREST

FORAMEN

CECUM

ANTERIOR

CRANIAL

FOSSA

ETHMOID BONE

COMPARTMENT:

CRISTA GALI

CRIBRIFORM

PLATE

• ANTERIOR

ETHMOIDAL

FORAMINA

• POSTERIOR

ETHMOIDAL

FORAMINA

ANTERIOR

CRANIAL

FOSSA

ANTERIOR CRANIAL FOSSA

SPHENOID BONE

COMPARTMENT

LESSER WING

SPHENOIDAL

RIDGES

ANTERIOR CLINOID

PROCESS

POSTERIOR BORDER

OF ANTERIOR

CRANIAL FOSSA

BODY

JUGUM

FORAMINAE OR

APERTURES OF

THE ANTERIOR

CRANIAL

FOSSA &

CONTENTS

FORAMEN CECUM NASAL EMISSARY VEIN

FORAMINA IN THE CRIBRIFORM PLATE AXONS OF OLFACTORY

CELLS IN OLFACTORY EPITHELIUM THAT FORM THAT OLFACTORY NERVES

ANTERIOR & POSTERIOR ETHMOIDAL FORAMINA VESSELS & NERVES

WITH SAME NAMES

MIDDLE

CRANIAL

FOSSA

FORMED BY:

SPHENOID BONE • BODY OF

SPHENOID

• GREATER WING OF SPHENOID

TEMPORAL BONE

PARIETAL BONE

MIDDLE CRANIAL FOSSA SPHENOID BONE PORTION BODY OF SPHENOID

GROOVE FOR THE OPTIC CHIASM

OPTIC FORAMEN OPTIC NERVE

OPHTHALMIC ARTERY

PRECHIASMATIC GROOVE

SELLA TURCICA TUBERCULUM

SELLA

HYPOPHYSEAL FOSSA

DORSUM SELLA

POSTERIOR CLINOID PROCESS

CAROTID GROOVE

ANTERIOR PART OF CLIVUS

MIDDLE CRANIAL FOSSA THE BODY OF SPHENOID PORTION

MIDDLE CRANIAL FOSSA SPHENOID BONE PORTIONS THE GREATER WING OF SPHENOID

FORAMEN ROTUNDUM MAXILLARY

NERVE

FORAMEN OVALE MANDIBULAR

NERVE

ACCESSORY MENINGEAL ARTERY

FORAMEN SPINOSUM MIDLLE

MENINGEAL ARTERY

MIDDLE MENINGEAL VEIN

MENINGEAL BRANCH OF TRIGEMINAL NERVE

MIDDLE CRANIAL FOSSA

SUPERIOR

ORBITAL

FISSURE:

SLIT

BETWEEN

THE

GREATER &

LESSER

WINGS OF

SPHENOID

SUPERIOR ORBITAL FISSURE

TRANSMITS:

OCULOMOTOR NERVE

TROCHLEAR NERVE

ABDUCENS NERVE

OPHTHALMIC NERVE

OPHTHALMIC VEIN

MIDDLE CRANIAL FOSSA

FORAMEN

LACERUM: RUGGED CANAL

BETWEEN THE

BODY OF

SPHENOID & APEX

OF PETROUS PART

OF TEMPORAL

BONE

CAROTID

CANAL

PTERYGOID

CANAL

FORAMEN

LACERUM

CAROTID CANAL

INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY

SYMPATHETIC NERVES

VENOUS PLEXUS

PTERYGOID CANAL

DEEP PETROSAL NERVE

MIDDLE CRANIAL FOSSA TEMPORAL BONE

SQUAMOUS PART

PETROUS PART TEGMEN TYMPANI

ROOF OF TYMPANUM

ARCUATE EMINENCE SUPERIOR

SEMICIRCULAR CANAL

IMPRESSIONS FOR GREATER PETROSAL NERVES

TRIGEMINAL IMPRESSION

GREATER PETROSAL HIATUS GREATER PETROSAL

NERVE

PETROSAL BRANCH OF MIDDLE MENINGEAL ARTERY

MIDDLE

CRANIAL

FOSSA

PARIETAL

BONE:

ANTERIOR

INFERIOR

PART

POSTERIOR

INFERIOR

PART

FORAMINAE

(APERTURES) OF THE

MIDDLE CRANIAL

FOSSA & CONTENTS

OPTIC CANALS OPTIC NERVES

OPHTHALMIC ARTERY

SUPERIOR ORBITAL FISSURES OPHTHALMIC VEINS

OPHTHALMIC NERVE

OCULOMOTOR NERVE

TROCHLEAR NERVE

ABDUCENS NERVE

SYMPATHETIC FIBERS

FORAMEN ROTUNDUM MAXILLARY NERVE

FORAMEN OVALE MANDIBULAR NERVE

ACCESSORY MENINGEAL ARTERY

FORAMEN SPINOSUM MIDDLE MENINGEAL ARTERY & VEIN

MENINGEAL BRANCH OF MANDIBULAR NERVE

FORAMEN LACERUM INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY & ITS

ACCOMPANYING SYMPATHETIC & VENOUS PLEXUSES

GROOVE OR HIATUS OF GREATER PETROSAL NERVE GREATER PETROSAL NERVE &

PETROSAL BRANCH OF MIDDLE MENINGEAL ARTERY

POSTERIOR

CRANIAL

FOSSA

FORMED BY:

SPHENOID BONE

POSTERIOR END OF BODY

OF SPHENOID (ANTERIOR

PART OF CLIVUS)

TEMPORAL BONE

PETROUS PART

MASTOID PART

OCCIPITAL BONE

INFERIOR ANTERIOR

PARTS

POSTERIOR

CRANIAL

FOSSA

LARGEST &

DEEPEST

POSTERIOR CRANIAL FOSSA

CONTAINS THE RHOMBENCEPHALON

CEREBELLUM

PONS CEREBELLI

MEDULLA OBLONGATA

COVERED BY:

TENTORIUM CEREBELLI • TENTORIAL NOTCH

• PASSAGE OF THE BRAINSTEM

POSTERIOR

CRANIAL

FOSSA

CLIVUS (SLOPE)

GROOVES FOR THE DURAL VENOUS SINUSES TRANSVERSE

SIGMOID

SUPERIOR & INFERIOR PETROSAL

INTERNAL OCCIPITAL PROTUBERANCE

OPENINGS OR FORAMINA FORAMEN MAGNUM

JUGULAR FORAMEN

HYPOGLOSSAL CANAL

CONDYLAR CANAL

INTERNAL ACOUSTIC MEATUS

MASTOID FORAMEN

POSTERIOR CRANIAL FOSSA

GROOVE FOR THE DURAL VENOUS SINUSES

THE TRANSVERSE SINUSES

THE SIGMOID SINUSES

THE OCCIPITAL SINUS

THE SUPERIOR & INFERIOR PETROSAL SINUSES

INTERNAL OCCIPITAL PROTUBERANCE

FORAMEN MAGNUM THE LARGEST

APERTURE OF THE POSTERIOR CRANIAL FOSSA

STRUCTURES

TRANSMITTED

IN THE

FORAMEN

MAGNUM

SPINO-MEDULLARY JUNCTION

CN XI SPINAL ROOTS

MENINGEAL BRANCHES OF SUPERIOR CERVICAL NERVES (C1-C3)

MENINGES

VERTEBRAL ARTERIES

ANTERIOR & POSTERIOR SPINAL ARTERIES

JUGULAR

FORAMEN

STRUCTURES TRANSMITTED

INFERIOR PETROSAL SINUS & SIGMOID SINUS DRAINING TO THE INTERNAL JUGULAR VEIN

CRANIAL NERVES

CN IX

CN X

CN XI

POSTERIOR CRANIAL FOSSA

INTERNAL ACOUSTIC

MEATUS

STRUCTURES:

LABYRINTHINE OR INTERNAL AUDITORY VESSELS

CRANIAL NERVES

CN VII

CN VIII

OTHER OPENINGS IN THE

POSTERIOR CRANIAL FOSSA

HYPOGLOSSAL CANAL CN XII

CONDYLAR CANAL EMISSARY VEIN

FROM SIGMOID SINUS

MASTOID FORAMEN EMISSARY VEIN

FROM SIGMOID SINUS

MENINGEAL BRANCH OF OCCIPITAL ARTERY

FORAMINA

(APERTURES) OF

THE POSTERIOR

CRANIAL FOSSA

AND CONTENTS

FORAMEN MAGNUM MEDULLA & MENINGES

VERTEBRAL ARTERY

SPINAL ROOTS OF CN XI

DURAL VEINS

ANTERIOR & POSTERIOR SPINAL NERVES

JUGULAR FORAMEN GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL NERVE

VAGUS NERVE

SPINAL ACCESORY NERVE

SUPERIOR BULB OF INTERNAL JUGULAR VEIN

INFERIOR PETROSAL & SIGMOID SINUSES

MENINGEAL BRANCHES OF ASCENDING PHARYNGEAL & OCCIPITAL ARTERIES

HYPOGLOSSAL CANAL HYPOGLOSSAL NERVE

INTERNAL ACOUSTIC MEATUS FACIAL NERVE

VESTIBULOCOCHLEAR NERVE

CONDYLAR CANAL EMISSARY VEIN THAT PASSES FROM

SIGMOID SINUS TO VERTEBRAL VEINS IN THE NECK

MASTOID FORAMEN MASTOID EMISSARY VEIN FROM

SIGMOID SINUS & MENINGEAL BRANCH OF OCCIPITAL ARTERY

CRANIAL FOSSAE THE END