THE HEAD - cranial fossae

Question 1

What is the posterior boundary of the anterior cranial fossa?

Answer 1

a line drawn along the lesser wing of the sphenoid, anterior clinoid processes, and sphenoidal jugum

Question 2

What ostia are observed in the anterior cranial fossa?

Answer 2

cribriform plate, anterior and posterior ethmoid foramina and foramen cecum

Question 3

What passes through the cribriform plate?

Answer 3

fila olfactoria of cranial nerve I, the olfactory nerve

Question 4

What is the posterior boundary of the middle cranial fossa?

Answer 4

superior border of petrous part of temporal bone, posterior clinoid processes and dorsum sella of sphenoid bone

Question 5

What prominent parts of the brain rest on the middle ranial fossa?

Answer 5

temporal poles of temporal lobes of cerebrum, hypophysis cerebri, optic chiasma

Question 6

What bony feature is prominent in the median plane of the middle cranial fossa?

Answer 6

sella turcica

Question 7

Which cranial nerves exit the skull via middle cranial fossa ostia?

Answer 7

cranial nerves II, III, IV, V and VI

Question 8

What are the contents of the optic canal?

Answer 8

the optic nerve and opthalmic artery

Question 9

What are the contents of the superior orbital fissure?

Answer 9

the opthalmic veins, the oculomotor nerve, the trochlear nerve, the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve, and the abducent nerve

Question 10

The maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve exits the middle cranial fossa via which opening?

Answer 10

the foramen rotundum

Question 11

What are the contents of the foramen ovale?

Answer 11

the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (Vc) and the lesser petrosal branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve

Question 12

The mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve exits in the middle cranial fossa via which opening?

Answer 12

the foramen ovale

Question 13

What are the contents of the foramen spinosum?

Answer 13

the nervus spinosus from the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve and the middle meningeal artery

Question 14

What opening allows a branch of cranial nerve Vc to enter the middle cranial fossa from the infratemporal region?

Answer 14

the foramen spinosum

Question 15

Which ostia will not exit the skull from the middle cranial fossa in the living person?

Answer 15

the foramen lacerum, the hiatus for the greater (superficial) petrosal neve and the hiatus for the lesser petrosal nerve

Question 16

What forms the roof of the posterior cranial fossa?

Answer 16

the tentorium cerebelli

Question 17

What part of the central nerve system occupies the posterior cranial fossa?

Answer 17

the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata

Question 18

Which cranial nerves exit posterior cranial fossa ostia?

Answer 18

cranial nerve VII (facial), VIII (vestibulocochlear/auditory), IX (glossopharyngeal), X (vagus), XI (spinal accessory) and XIII (hypoglossal)

Question 19

Meningeal nerves in the foramen magnum are derived from which cord levels?

Answer 19

C1-C3 cord levels

Question 20

Which arteries arise in the posterior cranial fossa and descend through the foramen magnum to supply the spinal cord?

Answer 20

anterior and posterior spinal arteries

Question 21

What are the contents of the internal acoustic meatus?

Answer 21

cranial nerves VII (facial nerve) and VIII (vestibulocochlear/auditory nerve), the nervus intermedius/nerve of Wrisberg/sensory root of VII and the motor root of VII, the vestibular and cochlear roots of VIII and the internal auditory/internal labryinthine artery and vein

Question 22

What are the contents of the jugular foramen?

Answer 22

the jugular bulb, the inferior petrosal sinus, the tympanic body/tympanic glomus or jugular body/jugular glomus, cranial nerves IX (glossopharyngeal), X (vagus), and XI (spinal accessory)