Pterygopalatine Fossa Flashcards
Pterygopalatine fossa is immediately posterior to what bone?
Maxilla
Walls of the pterygopalatine fossa:
- Anterior wall
- Medial wall
- Posterior wall and roof
- Posterior surface of maxilla
- Lateral surface of the palatine bone
- Parts of the sphenoid bone
- What part of the sphenoid bone contributes to formation of the fossa?
- What 2 foramina open onto this surface?
- Anterosuperior surface of the pterygoid process
2. Foramen rotundum and pterygoid canal
Foramen rotundum
- Where is it in relation to the pterygoid canal?
- Communicates with what cranial fossa?
- What passes through it?
- Lateral and superior
- Middle cranial fossa
- Maxillary nerve (V2)
Pterygoid canal:
- Where is it in relation to the foramen rotundum
- This canal opens onto?
- During its course, it runs through?
- Opens into middle cranial fossa where?
- Medial and inferior
- Posterior surface of pterygoid process
- Travels in the cartilage that fills the foramen lacerum
- Anteroinferior to the internal carotid artery
Apertures where structures leave/enter pterygopalatine fossa; what do they communicate with?:
- Foramen rotundum/pterygoid canal
- Palatovaginal canal
- Palatine canal
- Sphenopalatine foramen
- Pterygomaxillary fissure
- Inferior orbital fissure
- Middle cranial fossa
- Leads to the nasopharynx
- Leads to the roof of the oral cavity (hard palate)
- Opens onto lateral wall of nasal cavity
- Between lateral aspect of the pterygopalatine fossa and infratemporal fossa
- Between superior aspect of fossa into the floor of the orbit
Contents of the pterygopalatine fossa:
- 2 nerves
- 1 artery
- 1 other
- Maxillary nerve (V2), nerve of pterygoid canal
- Terminal part of maxillary artery
- Pterygopalatine ganglion
Nerve of the pterygoid canal:
- Formed by the union of what 2 nerves?
- What are those 2 nerves branches of?
- What does it join?
- What kind of fibers do each of these 2 nerves carry?
- Greater petrosal nerve and deep petrosal nerve
- Greater= VII; deep= internal carotid plexus
- Pterygopalatine ganglion
- Greater= preganglionic parasympathetic
Deep= postganglionic sympathetic
Pterygopalatine ganglion:
- One of the 4 __
- Formed by cell body neurons associated with what 3 nerves/what type of fibers
- Parasympathetic ganglia in the head
- Postganglionic sympathetic (deep petrosal); sensory/ganglionic branches (maxillary nerve); preganglionic parasympathetic fibers (greater petrosal and nerve of pterygoid canal)
Nerve of pterygoid canal is branch of which nerve?
Facial nerve
- Fibers of pterygopalatine ganglion form what 4 branches that leave the ganglion?
- Where do the other fibers go? Are then distributed with what 3 nerves?
- Orbital, palatine, nasal, and pharyngeal branches
2. Pass superiorly to enter the main trunk of the maxillary nerve; zygomatic, posterior alveolar and infra-orbital
Orbital branches:
- Pass through?
- Supplies what 4 things?
- Inferior orbital fissure
2. Orbital wall (periosteum), lacrimal gland, sphenoidal and ethmoidal sinuses
Pharyngeal nerve:
- Passes ?
- Leaves the fossa thru?
- Supplies what 2 things?
- Posteriorly from the pterygopalatine ganglion
- Palatovaginal canal
- Mucosa and glands of the nasopharynx
Greater and lesser palatine nerves
- Pass thru?
- How do they enter the oral surface of the palate?
- Lesser palatine nerve passes posteriorly to supply?
- Greater (anterior) palatine nerve supplies?
- Greater palatine nerve joins which nerve?
- Palatine canal
- Thru the greater and lesser palatine foramina
- Soft palate
- Mucosa/glands of head palate and adjacent gingiva, mucosa over the middle and lower part of the lateral wall of the nasal cavity
- Long sphenopalatine nerve
Nasal nerve:
- How many are there?
- Pass thru __ to enter__?
- Short sphenopalatine supplies?
- Which is the largest? How does it run? What does it supply? What nerve does it join?
- 7
- Sphenopalatine foramen to enter nasal cavity
- Mucosa of posterior/superior quadrant of the nasal cavity
- Nasopalatine nerve; passes anteriorly grooving down the nasal septum; mucosa, gingiva, and glands adjacent to incisor teeth; joins greater palatine nerve