Neurosurgical Anatomy Flashcards
Surface anatomy of the pterion?
2.5cm above the zygomatic arch and 1.5cm behind the frontal process of the zygomatic bone.
Which bones contribute to the pterion?
Frontal
Parietal
Temporal
Greater wing of the sphenoid
Def: Asterion
Junction of the lamboid, occipitomastoid and parietomastoid sutures
What does the asterion overlie?
The junction of the transverse and sigmoid sinuses
Surface anatomy of the Sylvian fissure?
Marked by a line drawn from the lateral canthus to a point 75% of the distance from the nasion to the external occipital protuberance
Surface anatomy of the central sulcus
4-5cm posterior to the coronal suture
This is also at a point approximately 2cm posterior to the mid-position of the arc joining the nasion and the external occipital protuberance
Surface anatomy of the SSS?
Runs posteriorly from the nasion to the external occipital protuberance in the midline
Surface markings of the transverse sinus?
From the level of the occipital protuberance towards the mastoid at the same level as a line projected posteriorly from the zygomatic arch.
Subarachnoid cisterns:
1
Olfactory cistern
Subarachnoid cisterns:
2a
2b
Callosal cistern
Lamina terminalis cistern
Subarachnoid cisterns:
3
4
Chiasmatic cistern
Carotid cistern
Subarachnoid cisterns:
5
6
7
Sylvian cistern
Crural cistern
Interpeduncular cistern
Subarachnoid cisterns:
8
9
10
Ambient cistern
Superior CP cistern
Pre-pontine cistern
Subarachnoid cisterns:
11
12
13
Inferior CP cistern
Anterior spinal
Posterior spinal
Cistern contents:
Lamina terminalis
AComm and branches
Cistern contents:
Chiasmatic
Precommunicating ACA
Optic nerves
Cistern contents:
Carotid
ICA
Pcomm origin
Anterior choroidal
Cistern contents:
Sylvian
MCA
Cistern contents:
Crural
Anterior choroidal
Medial posterior choridal
Cistern contents:
Interpeduncular
Basilar bifurcation
PCAs
III
Cistern contents:
Ambient
PCA
SCA
Basal veins
IV
Cistern contents:
Quadrigeminal
Vein of Galen
Distal pericallosal arteries
Distal PCA and SCA
IV
Cistern contents:
Prepontine
Basilar
AICA
SCA
VI
Cistern contents:
Premedullary
Vertebral
PICA
XII
Cistern contents:
CP
AICA
V, VII, VIII
Cistern contents:
Cerebellomedullary
Vertebral
PICA
IX, X, XI, XII
Cistern contents:
Cisterna magna
Distal PICA
Craniospinal junction
Lateral view of the frontal lobe
Anterior to central sulcus
Precentral
Superior
Middle
Inferior frontal gyri
Where are the pyramidal cells of Betz found?
In layer 5 of the primary motor cortex
Which components of the inferior frontal gyrus comprise the motor speech cortex in the dominant hemisphere?
Triangular
Frontal opercular
Medial view of the frontal lobe
Predominantly superior frontal gyrus and cingulate gyrus
Basal view of frontal lobe
Gyrus rectus medially and orbital gyri laterally
Which rami characterise the Sylvian fissure?
Short anterior and ascending rami that demarcate the apex of the triangular portion of the inferior frontal gyrus
Medial surface of temporal lobe?
Parahippocampal gyrus
Dentate gyrus and fimbria lying more superiorly
The posterior surface of the parahippocampal gyrus is intersected by the calcarine sulcus with the upper part merging with the cingulate gyrus and the lower part with the lingula.
What structures are defined by the collateral sulcus?
The lateral margin of the lingual and the parahippocampal gyrus.
What defines the posterior limit of the parietal lobe?
A line drawn from the parieto-occipital sulcus to the inferiorly located preoccipital notch
Components of the parietal lobe
Superior and inferior lobules (latter made up of the supramarginal and angular gyrus)
What lies above the calcarine sulcus?
And below?
The cuneus above
Lingula below
Components of the insula?
Central sulcus demarcates a large anterior component containing several short gyri and a posterior part comprising two long gyri
Surrounded by the circular sulcus
Which artery crosses the insula?
M2
What are vulnerable to injury during resection of insula tumours?
Lenticulostriate perforators coming off the M1
Their damage can result in a motor deficit.
The most lateral lenticulostriate perforator acts as the medial margin of such a resection.
Approach to cerebellar hemispheric lesions
Transcortical dissection
Approach to quadrigeminal or undersurface tentorial lesions?
Supracerebellar, infratentorial route
How to access CPA?
Retraction of the petrous part of the cerebellar hemisphere
What can be used to assist in identifying CN VII and VIII?
Choroid plexus protruding from the foramen of Luschke
Where do the hypoglossal rootlets arise?
The preolivary sulcus
Types of WM fibres?
Association
Commissural
Projection
Types of association fibres
Short U arcuate fibres which interconnect adjacent gyri
Long fibres interconnect more distant gyri
Examples of long association fibres
Uncinate fasciculus
Cingulum
SLF
ILF
What structures are connected by the uncinate fasciculus?
Temporal and frontal lobes
What structures are connected by the cingulum?
Cingulate and parahippocampal gyri and the septal region
Structures connected by the SLF?
Frontal
Temporal
Parietal
Occipital lobes
Location of the SLF?
Superior to insula
Deep to the extreme and external capsules but superficial to the optic radiation and internal capsule
Structures connected by the ILF
Temporal and occipital lobes
What constitutes the inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus?
Group of fibres that traverse from the prefrontal region dorsal to the frontal fibres of the uncinate fasciculus
Continue posteriorly to the middle and posterior temporal region.
What are the principle commissural fibres
Corpus callosum
Anterior commissure
Parts of the corpus callosum
Rostrum
Genu
Body
Splenium
Tapetum
Tapetum etymology
Carpet
What is the tapetum of the corpus callosum?
Formed primarily by decussating fibres in the splenium of the corpus callosum that arch over the atrium of the lateral ventricle and course inferiorly in the lateral wall of the posterior and somewhat into the temporal horns of the lateral ventricle
What structures connect the frontal lobes?
Forceps minor via the genu
Structures connecting the occipital lobe?
Fibres of forceps major which project to the tapetum and interconnect via the splenium
Location of the fibres of the tapetum?
Lateral wall of the trigone and temporal horn
Separate these parts of the ventricle from the more laterally placed optic radiation.
Location of the anterior commissure?
The anterior wall of the third
Connect the temporal lobes
What happens to fibres from the upper part of the LGN?
Course directly to the visual cortex superior to the calcarine sulcus
What happens to fibres from the lower part of the LGB?
Loop forwards into the temporal lobe as Meyer’s loop, before turning posteriorly towards the inferior part of the primary visual cortex
How to approach cerebral hemispheric lesions?
Trans-gyral or trans-sulcal
How to approach lesions in the posterior part of the body or atrium of the lateral ventricle?
Transcortical approach through the superior parietal lobule.
What route can be taken to access the frontal horn and body of the lateral ventricle or lesions at the foramen of Monro?
Transcallosal approach
Can be extended to access the third ventricle.
General poinst in transcallosal approach
Interhemispheric, avoiding inadvertent injury to the callosomarginal and pericallosal arteries and to any bridging veins.
2cm incision in the corpus callosum.
What can help determine the laterality of the ventricle in the transcallosal approach?
Thalamostriate vein is lateral to the choroid plexus
Transchoroidal approach
Allows access to the third ventricle
Gentle retraction of the choroid plexus and opening the relatively avascular taenia fornicis from the foramen of Monro posteriorly for around 1cm.
Most common approaches to brainstem lesions
Midline suboccipital telovelar approach
Retrosigmoid approach
Lateral supracerebellar infratentorial approach
Extended pterional
Use of the suboccipital approach
Tumours within the fourth ventricle or in the floor.
Midline division of the vermis can expose this region but may be associated with neurological deficits including truncal ataxia and temporary speech disturbance
Use of telovelar approach
Access to fourth with less risk of complications.
Cerebellar tonsils retracted laterally and superiorly with care taken not to occlude PICA
Roof of the fourth exposed which consists of the tela choroidea inferiorly and the inferior medullary velum superiorly
Telovelar approach overview
Suboccipital craniotomy
Dissection proceeds to the uvulotonsillar space and cerebellomedullary fissure.
The uvulotonsillar space is exposed by retracting the uvula superomedially and the tonsil laterally.
A paramedian incision through the tela, just lateral to the uvula of the vermis enables good visualisation of the floor of the fourth.
The incision can be extended into the inferior medullary velum.
What structures should be protected when exposing the lateral recess of the fourth?
Superior and inferior cerebellar peduncles
What structures are at risk during telovelar approach?
The PICA and its branches, particularly as it courses medially into the cerebellomedullary fissure
What are the preferred zones for posterior entry into the brainstem?
Supra and infracollicular approaches either side of the facial colliculus
Midline longitudinal sulcus should be avoided due to its proximity to the MLF
What is the taenia fornicis?
Attachment of the choroid plexus to the fornix
What is the benefit of opening the taenia fornicis?
Facilitates opening of the choroidal fissure
Hazards in the velum interpositum
Internal cerebral veins
Terminal branches of the medial posterior choroidal artery
Hazads in telovelar
PICA
Vermis
Inferior cerebellar peduncles
Significant structures in floor of fourth
You are exposing the floor of the fourth ventricle by the telovelar approach. Which one of the following vessels do you expect to find as you open the tela choroidea and the inferior medullary velum?
Anterior inferior cerebellar artery
Vertebral artery
Superior cerebellar artery
Posterior inferior cerebellar artery
Superior vermian vein
PICA
A 60-year-old patient presented with a history of getting muddled and being vague. On examination she had a mental test score of 25/30. There was no evidence of papilloedema, cranial nerve deficit or limb deficit. An MRI scan showed a large intraventricular tumour with calcification
What is the most likely diagnosis?
Calcification commonly occurs in central neurocytomas. Intraventricular meningiomas can calcify; however, they are usually located in the trigone rather than in the anterior body. Colloid cysts are usually located in the third ventricle at the foramen of Monro. Choroid plexus tumours are very rare in this age group.
A 60-year-old patient presented with a history of getting muddled and being vague. On examination, she had a mental test score of 25/30. There was no evidence of papilloedema, cranial nerve deficit or limb deficit. An MRI scan showed a large intraventricular tumour with calcification
MRI shows a central neurocytoma
What surgical approach would you adopt?
Transcallosal approach
Transcortical is also possible though there would be a higher post-operative risk of seizures
A 45-year-old male presented with an abrupt onset of moderate headache, dysarthria, impaired balance and diplopia. Examination revealed brainstem signs, including facial numbness, facial weakness, nystagmus, a sixth cranial nerve palsy, weak cough and cerebellar signs, including ataxia, past-pointing and dysdiadochokinesia. A similar constellation of symptoms occurred 2 years previously; the patient made a good recovery after this earlier episode. An MRI scan showed a lesion in the pons
What is the most likely Dx?
Cavernous haemangioma
A 45-year-old male presented with an abrupt onset of moderate headache, dysarthria, impaired balance and diplopia. Examination revealed brainstem signs, including facial numbness, facial weakness, nystagmus, a sixth cranial nerve palsy, weak cough and cerebellar signs, including ataxia, past-pointing and dysdiadochokinesia. A similar constellation of symptoms occurred 2 years previously; the patient made a good recovery after this earlier episode. An MRI scan showed a lesion in the pons
Cavernous haemangioma shown on MR.
What surgical approach
Midline suboccipital craniotomy with telovelar approach.
Indication for endoscopic transplanum transtuberculum approach?
Pituitary tumours with suprasellar extension
Tuberculum sellae or planum meningiomas
Craniopharyngiomas
Patient positioning for endoscopic endonasal transplanum approach
Supine
Mayfield
Neutral or slight rotation towards surgeon
Location of the medial optico-carotid recess?
Lateral aspect of the tuberculum
What does the lateral optico-carotid recess represent?
Base of the optic strut
What is the chiasmatic sulcus?
Region from the tuberculum to the limbus sphenoidale that extends between the optic canals
Midline structures of the sphenoid from rostrocaudal
Planum
Limbus
Chiasmatic sulcus
Tuberculum
Sella
What forms the roof of the optic canal?
Anterior root of the lesser wing of the sphenoid
What forms the floor of the optic canal?
Posterior root or the optic strut
What is the significance of the blue arrow?
Represents the direction of drilling of the anterior clinoid process to disconnect it from the anterior root
What bone must be removed in endoscopic endonasal approach?
Wide bilateral sphenoidotomy. posterior ethmoidectomy and posterior septectomy
CR=
Car=
LOCR=
Clival recess
Carotid recesse
Lateral optico-carotid recess.
Bony drilling of sphenoid during endonasal approach
Intraphenoidal septations thinned using a drill
Bone overlying the sela and chaismatic sulcus egg shelled with diamond burr.
Thinned bone can be dissected off whilst maintaining dural integrity.
What is the limbus dura
Thickened dural fold that overlies the limbus sphenoidale
Where is the MOCR and to what does it correspond
At the lateral end of the tuberculum strut.
Corresponds to the transition between the paraclinoidal and supraclinoidal segments of the ICA.
What constitutes the para sellar ICA?
Combination of cavernous and paraclinoidal segment