Ventricles, Hemispheres, Venous Sinuses and Skull Base

Question 1

What ventricles are there in the brain?

Answer 1

• The right and left lateral ventricles
• The third ventricle
• The fourth ventricle

Question 2

What does the foramen Munro (interventricular foramen) connect?

Answer 2

Lateral ventricles to the III ventricle

Question 3

What does the cerebral aqueduct of Sylvius connect?

Answer 3

III ventricle to IV ventricle

Question 4

What does the IV ventricle empty into the subarachnoid space through?

Answer 4

• Its median aperture, the foramen of Magendie

- Its two lateral apertures, the foramina of Luschka

Question 5

Give examples of venous sinuses found in the brain

Answer 5

• Superior sagittal sinus
• Straight sinus
• Right and left transverse sinuses
• Right and left sigmoid sinuses
• Cavernous sinus

Question 6

What is the incidence of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis?

Answer 6

Rare

Question 7

What can cause cerebral venous sinus thrombosis?

Answer 7

• Infection in the mastoids or orbit
• OCP
• Dehydration
• Cancer
• Sepsis
• Myeloproliferative disorders
• Pregnancy
• Puerperium

Question 8

What may be found on history and examination of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis?

Answer 8

• Headaches (in 92% of patients) with strokes, seizures or decreased conscious state
• Intracranial hypertension with nausea, vomiting, Papilloedema, visual obscuration

Question 9

What is the treatment for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis?

Answer 9

Anticoagulation, even if there is haemorrhagic venous infarction

Question 10

What is the prognosis of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis?

Answer 10

• Usually complete recovery with treatment

- Mortality approx. 10%

Question 11

What bones form the skull base?

Answer 11

• Occipital bone
• Temporal bone
• Sphenoid bone
• Frontal bone
• Ethmoid bone
• Maxillary and palatine bones if viewed from below

Question 12

What are the openings in the skull base?

Answer 12

• 1 foreman magnum
• 2 optic canals
• 2 foramen ovale
• 2 foramen rotundum
• 2 jugular foramen
• Cribriform plate
• 2 superior orbital fissures
• 2 internal acoustic meati
• 2 stylomastoid foramen
• 2 carotid canals
• 2 foramen spinosum

Question 13

What passes through the foramen magnum?

Answer 13

• Cervicomedullary junction

- Vertebral arteries

Question 14

What passes through the optic canal?

Answer 14

Optic nerve

Question 15

What passes through the foramen ovale?

Answer 15

V3

Question 16

What passes through the foramen rotundum?

Answer 16

V2

Question 17

What passes through the cribriform plate?

Answer 17

Olfactory receptor neurones

Question 18

What passes through the superior orbital fissure?

Answer 18

• Oculomotor III
• Trochlear IV
• V1
• Abducens VI

Question 19

What passes through the internal acoustic meatus?

Answer 19

• Facial nerve VII

- Vestibulocochlear VIII

Question 20

What passes through the stylomastoid foramen?

Answer 20

-Facial nerve VII

Question 21

What passes through the carotid canals?

Answer 21

Internal carotid arteries

Question 22

What passes through the foramen spinosum?

Answer 22

Middle meningeal artery

Question 23

What passes through the jugular foramen?

Answer 23

Sigmoid sinus which drains into internal jugular veins