Foramina of the Skull Flashcards
What are the foramina found in the anterior cranial fossa?
Foramen cecum; cribriform foramina (in cribriform plate); anterior and posterior ethmoidal foramina
What are the foramina found in the middle cranial fossa?
Optic canals; superior orbital fissure; foramen rotundum; foramen ovale; foramen spinosum; foramen lacerum; groove or hiatus of greater petrosal nerve
What are the foramina found in the posterior cranial fossa?
Foramen magnum; jugular foramen; hypoglossal canal; condylar canal; mastoid foramen
What is CN I?
Olfactory
Where does CN I exit in the skull?
Cribriform plate
What is CN II?
Optic
Where does CN II exit in the skull?
Optic canal
What is CN III?
Oculomotor
Where does CN III exit in the skull?
Superior orbital fissure
What is CN IV?
Trochlear
Where does CN IV exit in the skull?
Superior orbital fissure
What is CN V1?
Opthalmic
Where does CN V1 exit in the skull?
Superior orbital fissure
What is CN V2?
Maxillary
Where does CN V2 exit in the skull?
Foramen rotundum
What is CN V3?
Mandibular
Where does CN V3 exit in the skull?
Foramen ovale
What is CN VI?
Abducent
Where does CN VI exit in the skull?
Superior orbital fissure
What is CN VII?
Facial
Where does CN VII exit in the skull?
Internal acoustic canal
What is CN VIII?
Vestibulo-cochlear
Where does CN VIII exit in the skull?
Internal acoustic canal
What is CN IX?
Glossopharyngeal
Where does CN IX exit in the skull?
Jugular foramen
What is CN X?
Vagus
Where does CN X exit in the skull?
Jugular foramen
What is CN XI?
Spinal accessory
Where does CN XI exit in the skull?
Jugular foramen
What is CN XII?
Hypoglossal
Where does CN XII exit in the skull?
Hypoglossal canal
What vein exits through the jugular foramen?
Internal jugular vein
Where does the internal jugular vein exit in the skull?
Jugular foramen
What structures exit from the jugular foramen of the skull?
Glossopharyngeal (IX); vagus (X); spinal accessory (XI); internal jugular vein
What nerves exit from the internal acoustic canal of the skull?
Facial (VII); vestibulo-cochlear (VIII)
What nerves exit from the superior orbital fissure of the skull?
Oculomotor (III); trochlear (IV); ophthalmic (V1); abducent (VI)
What nerve exits from the cribriform plate of the skull?
Olfactory (I)
What nerve exits from the optic canal of the skull?
Optic (II)
What nerve exits from the foramen rotundum of the skull?
Maxillary (V2)
What nerve exits from the foramen ovale of the skull?
Mandibular (V3)
What structures pass through the foramen cecum?
Nasal emissary vein (1% of population)
What structures pass through the cribriform foramina in the cribriform plate?
Axons of olfactory cells in olfactory epithelium that form olfactory nerves
What structures pass through the anterior and posterior ethmoidal foramina?
Vessels and nerves of the same name
What structures pass through the optical canals?
Optic nerves (I) and ophthalmic arteries
What structures pass through the superior orbital fissure?
Ophthalmic veins; ophthalmic nerve (V1); oculomotor nerve (III); trochlear nerve (IV); abducent nerve (VI)
What structure passes through the foramen rotundum?
Maxillary nerve (V2)
What structures passes through the foramen ovale?
Mandibular nerve (V3) and accessory meningeal artery
What structures pass through the foramen spinosum?
Middle meningeal artery and vein; meningeal branch of mandibular nerve (V3)
What structures pass through the foramen lacerum?
Deep petrosal nerve; meningeal artery branches; small veins; internal carotid artery and sympathetic and venous plexuses
What structures pass through the groove or hiatus of the greater petrosal nerve?
Greater petrosal nerve; petrosal branch of meningeal artery
How do structures pass through the foramen lacerum?
Horizontally instead of vertically
What structures pass through the foramen magnum?
Medulla and meninges; vertebral arteries; spinal accessory nerve (XI); dural veins; anterior and posterior spinal arteries
What structures pass through the jugular foramen?
Glossopharyngeal nerve (IX); vagus nerve (X); spinal accessory (XI); superior bulb of internal jugular vein; inferior petroid and sigmoid sinuses; meningeal branches of ascending pharyngeal and occipital arteries
What structures pass through the hypoglossal canal?
Hypoglossal nerve (XII)
What structures pass through the condylar canal?
Emissary vein (from sigmoid sinus to vertebral veins in neck)
What structures pass through the mastoid foramen?
Mastoid emissary vein (from sigmoid sinus and meningeal artery of occipital artery)
