Foramen_lacerum

Foramen lacerum

Foramen lacerum

Triangular hole in the base of the skull

The foramen lacerum (Latin: lacerated piercing) is a triangular hole in the base of skull. It is located between the sphenoid bone, the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone, and the basilar part of the occipital bone.

Quick Facts Details, System ...

Structure

The foramen lacerum (Latin: lacerated piercing) is a triangular hole in the base of skull. It is located between 3 bones:

It is the junction point of 3 sutures of the skull:

Contents

Structures passing through the foramen lacerum include:

Relations

It is situated anteromedially to the carotid canal.[1]: 776 

The internal carotid artery passes from the carotid canal in the base of the skull, emerging and coursing superior to foramen lacerum as it exits the carotid canal; the internal carotid artery does not travel through foramen lacerum (the segment of the internal carotid artery that travels superior to the foramen lacerum is called the lacerum segment).[7]

Development

The foramen lacerum fills with cartilage after birth.[1]: 776 

Clinical significance

The foramen lacerum has been described as a portal of entry into the cranium for tumours, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, juvenile angiofibroma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, malignant melanoma, and lymphoma.[8][9]

History

The first recorded mention of the foramen lacerum was by anatomist Wenzel Gruber in 1869.[10][8] Study of the foramen has been neglected for many years because of the small role it plays in intracranial surgery.[8]

Additional images

  • Foramen lacerum

References

  1. [1]
    Drake, Richard L.; Vogl, Wayne; Tibbitts, Adam W.M. Mitchell; illustrations by Richard; Richardson, Paul (2005). Gray's anatomy for students. Philadelphia: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 978-0-8089-2306-0.
  2. [2]
    Chae, Ricky; Rubio, Roberto Rodriguez (2020). "14 - Anatomy of petrous face". Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Vol. 170. Elsevier. pp. 143–156. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-822198-3.00036-7. ISBN 978-0-12-822198-3. ISSN 0072-9752. PMID 32586486. S2CID 220077819.
  3. [3]
    Netter, Frank H.; Norton, Neil S. (2011). Netter's Head and Neck Anatomy for Dentistry (2nd ed.). Elsevier, Saunders. pp. 47–50.
  4. [4]
    Goosmann, Madeline M.; Dalvin, Mark (2023), "Anatomy, Head and Neck, Deep Petrosal Nerve", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 30521238, retrieved 2023-07-31
  5. [5]
    Seker, Askin; Martins, Carolina; Rhoton, Albert L. (2010). "2 - Meningeal Anatomy". Meningiomas. Saunders. pp. 11–51. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4160-5654-6.00002-7. ISBN 978-1-4160-5654-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. [6]
    Sinnatamby, Chummy S. (2011). Last's Anatomy (12th ed.). Elsevier Australia. p. 364. ISBN 978-0-7295-3752-0.
  7. [7]
    Tubbs, R. Shane; Shoja, Mohammadali M.; Loukas, Marios (25 April 2016). Bergman's Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation. John Wiley & Sons. p. 450. ISBN 9781118430279.
  8. [8]
    Tauber, M; van Loveren, HR; Jallo, G; Romano, A; Keller, JT (February 1999). "The enigmatic foramen lacerum". Neurosurgery. 44 (2): 386–91, discussion 391-3. doi:10.1097/00006123-199902000-00083. PMID 9932893.
  9. [9]
    Christodouleas, Boris Hristov, Steven H. Lin, John P. (2010). Radiation oncology : a question-based review. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 138. ISBN 978-1608314447.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. [10]
    Gruber, Wenzel (1869). Beitrage Zur Anatomie Des Schadelgrundes. ISBN 9781162306223.
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