Middle cranial fossa

Middle cranial fossa
Superior view of the skull base. Middle cranial fossa shown in green. 1: Sphenoidal limbus (anterior margin of the chiasmatic groove) 2: Posterior borders of the lesser wings of the sphenoid 3: Dorsum sellae of the sphenoid bone 4: Superior borders of the petrous part of the temporal bone
Base of the skull. Upper surface. (Middle cranial fossa is the centermost of the three indentations, in pink and yellow.)
Details
Identifiers
Latin	fossa cranii media
MeSH	D035301
TA98	A02.1.00.049
TA2	452
FMA	54369
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The middle cranial fossa is formed by the

It is bounded in front by the posterior margins of the lesser wings of the

Middle part

The middle part of the fossa presents, in front, the

Behind the optic foramen the anterior clinoid process is directed backward and medialward and gives attachment to the cerebellar tentorium .

Behind the tuberculum sellae is a deep depression, the

On either side of the sella turcica is the carotid groove, which is broad, shallow, and curved somewhat like the italic letter f.

It begins behind at the foramen lacerum, and ends on the medial side of the anterior clinoid process, where it is sometimes converted into a foramen (carotico-clinoid) by the union of the anterior with the middle clinoid process; posteriorly, it is bounded laterally by the lingula.

This groove lodges the

Lateral parts

The lateral parts of the middle fossa are of considerable depth, and support the

Behind the medial end of the superior orbital fissure is the foramen rotundum, for the passage of the maxillary nerve.

Behind and lateral to the foramen rotundum is the

Medial to the foramen ovale is the

Lateral to the foramen ovale is the foramen spinosum, for the passage of the middle meningeal vessels, and a recurrent branch from the mandibular nerve.

Medial to the foramen ovale is the foramen lacerum; in the fresh state the lower part of this aperture is filled up by a layer of fibrocartilage, while its upper and inner parts transmit the internal carotid artery surrounded by a plexus of sympathetic nerves.

The nerve of the pterygoid canal and a meningeal branch from the ascending pharyngeal artery pierce the layer of fibrocartilage.

On the anterior surface of the petrous portion of the temporal bone are seen the eminence caused by the projection of the

Clinical significance

A middle fossa craniotomy is one means to surgically remove acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannoma) growing within the internal auditory canal of the temporal bone.

See also

• Anterior cranial fossa
• Posterior cranial fossa

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 190 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

Additional images

• 
  Animation
• 
  Middle cranial fossa at human foetus
• 
  Base of skull
• 
  Middle cranial fossa
• 
  Middle cranial fossa
• 
  Middle cranial fossa

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Middle cranial fossa.

• Anatomy photo:22:os-0802 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center