• Source: Foramen lacerum

The foramen lacerum (Latin: lacerated piercing) is a triangular hole in the base of skull. It is located between the sphenoid bone, the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone, and the basilar part of the occipital bone.




Structure


The foramen lacerum (Latin: lacerated piercing) is a triangular hole in the base of skull. It is located between 3 bones:

sphenoid bone (forming the anterior border): 776 
apex of petrous part of temporal bone (forming the posterolateral border): 776 
basilar part of occipital bone (forming the posteromedial border): 776 
It is the junction point of 3 sutures of the skull:

petroclival (petrooccipital) suture: 776 
sphenopetrosal suture: 776 
sphenooccipital suture




= Contents

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Structures passing through the foramen lacerum include:

greater petrosal nerve and deep petrosal nerve which merge within the foramen to form the nerve of the pterygoid canal
nerve of the pterygoid canal
artery of the pterygoid canal
recurrent artery of the foramen lacerum (supplies the internal carotid plexus)
emissary veins (connecting extracranial pterygoid plexus with the intracranial cavernous sinus)
one of the terminal branches of the ascending pharyngeal artery




= Relations

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It is situated anteromedially to the carotid canal.: 776 
The internal carotid artery passes from the carotid canal in the base of the skull, emerging and coursing superior to foramen lacerum as it exits the carotid canal; the internal carotid artery does not travel through foramen lacerum (the segment of the internal carotid artery that travels superior to the foramen lacerum is called the lacerum segment).




= Development

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The foramen lacerum fills with cartilage after birth.: 776 




Clinical significance


The foramen lacerum has been described as a portal of entry into the cranium for tumours, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, juvenile angiofibroma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, malignant melanoma, and lymphoma.




History


The first recorded mention of the foramen lacerum was by anatomist Wenzel Gruber in 1869. Study of the foramen has been neglected for many years because of the small role it plays in intracranial surgery.




Additional images











References






External links


Anatomy figure: 22:5b-10 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Internal view of skull."
Photo of model at Waynesburg College skeleton/foramenlacerum
cranialnerves at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (VII)
"Anatomy diagram: 34257.000-1". Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator. Elsevier. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22.
Image at ucsd.edu Archived 2021-10-21 at the Wayback Machine

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Foramen lacerum
• Lacerum
• Internal carotid artery
• Greater petrosal nerve
• Nerve of pterygoid canal
• Pterygoid canal
• Clivus (anatomy)
• Deep petrosal nerve
• Carotid canal
• Lacrimal gland