Anatomy

Question 1

What structures make up the diencephalon?

Answer 1

Thalamus

Hypothalamus

Question 2

What connects the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland?

Answer 2

The infundibulum

Question 3

What is the name of the space that the pituitary gland sit in in the skull? Within what bone is this found?

What is the name of the structure this space lies in?

What lies over the top of this space?

Answer 3

Pituitary gland sits within the pituitary fossa, which is within the sphenoid bone

The pituitary fossa sits within the sella turcica

The diaphragm sellae (a tough sheet of dura mater) lies over the top of the pituitary fossa

Question 4

Where are the cavernous and intercavernous sinuses in relation to the pituitary gland?

What structures pass through the cavernous sinus?

Answer 4

The cavernous sinuses sit immediately lateral to the pituitary gland on either side, while the intercavernous sinuses sit immediately anteriorly and posteriorly

Structures passing through the cavernous sinus… (O TOM CAT)

• Oculomotor nerve (CN III)
• Trochlear nerve (CN IV)
• Ophthalmic branch of trigeminal (CN V1)
• Maxillary branch of trigeminal (CN V2)
• Carotid artery (internal)
• Abducens nerve (CN VI)

Question 5

Where would a thyroglossal duct cyst present?

Answer 5

Anywhere along the migratory path of the thyroid during its development i.e. anywhere from the back of the tongue down to the thyroid gland itself

Question 6

Within which fascial compartment in the neck is the thyroid gland located?

Answer 6

The pretracheal compartment

Question 7

What nerve supplies the platysma?

Answer 7

CN VII - classed as a muscle of facial expression

Question 8

Contents of the prevertebral fascial compartment

Answer 8

Postural neck muscles

Cervical vertebrae

Question 9

Contents of the pretracheal fascial compartment

Answer 9

Oesophagus

Trachea

Thyroid

Strap muscles

Recurrent laryngeal nerves

Question 10

What structures run within the carotid sheath?

Answer 10

Vagus nerve

Carotid arteries (external passes out, just leaving the internal carotid within the sheath)

Internal jugular vein

Deep cervical lymph nodes

Question 11

What nerve supplies both the sternocleidomastoid and the trapezius?

Answer 11

CN XI (spinal accessory nerve)

Question 12

How many heads does the sternocleidomastoid muscle have? What do they attach to?

What veins run in close proximity to this muscle and where do they drain to?

Answer 12

SCM has 2 heads - both attach superiorly to the mastoid process

• sternal head attaches to the manubrium of the sternum
• clavicular head attaches to the medial end of the clavical

Veins

• External jugular runs laterally to SCM and drains into the subclavian vein
• Anterior jugular runs medially to SCM and drains into the external jugular

Question 13

Where do the following vessels originate/drain to?

• Superior thyroid artery
• Inferior thyroid artery
• Superior thyroid vein
• Middle thyroid vein
• Inferior thyroid vein

Answer 13

Superior thyroid artery - external carotid

Inferior thyroid artery - subclavian artery

Superior thyroid vein - internal jugular vein

Middle thyroid vein - internal jugular vein

Inferior thyroid vein - brachiocephalic vein

Question 14

Name the four paired strap muscles in the neck

Which are superficial and which are deep?

Answer 14

Superficial

• Sternohyoid (sternum to hyoid bone)
• Omohyoid - 2 bellies (shoulder to hyoid bone)

Deep

• Thyrohyoid (thyroid to hyoid bone)
• Sternothyroid (sternum to thyroid)

Question 15

What is Berry’s ligament?

What nerve is it in very close proximity to?

Answer 15

Berry’s ligament attaches the thyroid gland to the larynx

Very close anatomical relationship to the recurrent laryngeal nerve