7.01 Skull And Pituitary Fossa Anatomy

Front 1

What structures form the anterior and posterior borders of the pituitary fossa?

Back 1

Anterior - anterior clinoid process
Posterior - dorsum sellae

Front 2

What three cranial nerve foramina are located lateral to the pituitary fossa?

Back 2

Foramina rotundum, ovale and spinosum

Front 3

What bone is located between middle and posterior cranial cavities?

Back 3

petrous temporal bone

Front 4

In which bony cradle does the pituitary gland sit?

Back 4

Sella turcica

Front 5

What cranial bone contains the pituitary gland?

Back 5

sphenoid bone

Front 6

Which cranial structure contains air cells?

Back 6

mastoid process

Front 7

What connects the pituitary gland to hypothalamus?

Back 7

infundibulum

Front 8

What is the normal pituitary size for males and females?

Back 8

males 8-10mm diameter
females - variable, up to 12mm (during pregnancy and normal menstrual cycle)

Front 9

What part of the pituitary contains blood vessels and what regulates this section of pituitary?

Back 9

The pars distalis (adenohypophysis)

regulated by releasing factors from the circulation

Front 10

What regulates the pars nervosa (neurohypophysis)?

Back 10

Neural connections from the hypothalamus

Front 11

What pituitary structure is a remnant from Rathke's pouch?

Back 11

pars intermedia

Front 12

What does the interal carotid artery become as it ascends at the level of the clivus?

Back 12

carotid canal

Front 13

What veinous structure lies anterior and lateral to the pituitary gland?

Back 13

cavernous sinus

Front 14

At what level does the vertebral atery become the basilar?

Back 14

pons level

Front 15

What artery and nerves pass through the cavernous sinus?

Back 15

ICA, CN III, IV, VI

Front 16

What nerves are contained within the wall of the cavernous sinus?

Back 16

ophthalmic and maxillary nerves

Front 17

What is the name of the empty space below the pituitary gland?

Back 17

sphenoid sinus

Front 18

on CT, what structures lie between the hypothalamus and pituitary in a coronal section?

Back 18

optic chiasm and infundibulum

Front 19

What characterises microadenomas of the pituitary gland on CT imaging?

Back 19

Slight change of pituitary colouration in a gadolinium enhanced image

Front 20

What kind of thickening is associated with pituitary macroadenoma?

Back 20

calvarial thickening

Front 21

What sinus lies superior to the cavernous sinus?

Back 21

The sphenoidal air sinus

Front 22

What pituitary adenoma forces itself into the sphenoidal sinus?

Back 22

macroadenoma

Front 23

What sinus does meningioma spread to and does the tumour compress any structure?

Back 23

cavernous sinus (compressed ICA)

Front 24

What tumour originates in neural tissue of the hypothalamus?

Back 24

Craniopharyngioma

Front 25

What are the three fossae of the endocranium?

Back 25

anterior, middle, posterior fossae

Front 26

What are some structural landmarks/grooves of the petrous temporal bone?

Back 26

depression for trigeminal ganglion
arcuate eminence (elevation over the anterior portion of the semicircular canals)
foramina and grooves for the greater and lesser petrosal nerves

Front 27

What vessel lies in the groove of the squamous portion of the temporal bone?

Back 27

middle meningeal artery

Front 28

What large flat bone surrounds the cribriform plate?

Back 28

orbital plate of the frontal bone

Front 29

What structure connects the christae galli to the orbital plate of frontal bone?

Back 29

ethmoidal spine

Front 30

What vessels/nerves pass through the jugular foramen?

Back 30

exit of vagus (X), glossopharyngeal (IX) and accessory (XI) nerves

Front 31

The clivus is part of what bone, and to what central bone does it attach to to form the dorsum sellae?

Back 31

clivus is the basilar portion of the occipital bone and it joins with the body of the sphenoid to make the dorsum sellae

Front 32

What veins merge to pass through the jugular foramen?

Back 32

inferior petrosal sinus and sigmoid sinus - they merge as the internal jugular vein

Front 33

What sinus connects the cavernous sinus to the sigmoidal sinus?

Back 33

superior petrosal sinus

Front 34

Why is the jugular foramen figure 8 shaped?

Back 34

It marks the structure of the jugular vein passing through it, which is the merging of both the inferior petrosal and sigmoidal sinuses.

Front 35

What does clinoid mean?

Back 35

Bed - anterior and posterior clinoid processes look like the head and feet of a bed.

Front 36

What nerves pass through the superior orbital fissure?

Back 36

CN Vi, III, IV, VI

Front 37

What foramen does the maxillary division of trigeminal pass through, and to what cavity does it move into?

Back 37

foramen rotundum, passing into pterygopalatine fossa

Front 38

What nerves pass through foramen ovale, and into what cavity do they enter?

Back 38

mandibular division of trigeminal and lesser petrosal nerve - they enter the infratemporal fossa

Front 39

What is the function of the lesser petrosal nerve?

Back 39

sends parasympathetic fibres to otic ganglion

Front 40

What vessel passes through foramen spinosum and into what cavity does it enter?

Back 40

middle meningeal artery - it passes into the infratemporal fossa (with Viii and lesser petrosal from foramen ovale)

Front 41

What apertures does the formamen lacerum encompass?

Back 41

Carotid canal and pterygoid canal

Front 42

What cranial foramen does the greater petrosal nerve pass through and into what fossa does it go?

Back 42

Passes through the foramen lacerum into the pterygopalatine fossa

Front 43

On what bone does the cavernous sinus lie?

Back 43

it lies on either side of the lateral walls of the sphenoid sinus

Front 44

What fibres form a plexus around the internal carotid artery and where do they arise from?

Back 44

sympathetic fibres/plexus - they arise from the superior cervical ganglion

Front 45

What nerves lie in between the lateral wall and 'roof' of the cavernous sinus?

Back 45

CN III and IV

Front 46

Where does abducens sit in the cavernous sinus?

Back 46

in between the two layers of dural with the ICA

Front 47

In the cavernous sinus region, what nerves sit on its edges -laterally and at the base?

Back 47

laterally - Vi ophthalmic
base - Vii maxillary

Front 48

What is the cranial side of the cavernous sinus?

Back 48

the side adjacent to bone and dura

Front 49

What vessels are on the cranial side of the cavernous sinus?

Back 49

middle meningeal artery, petrosal nerves

Front 50

What fibres and information types form the petrosal nerves?

Back 50

parasympathetic preganglionic fibres from VII and IX constitute the petrosal nerves

Front 51

What structures lie between dura and brain in the middle cranial cavity?

Back 51

optic chiasm, optic nucleus, pituitary gland, temporal lobe of cortex

Front 52

What sets of nerves does the ophthalmic branch of trigeminal give rise to?

Back 52

nasocilliary, frontal and lacrimal nerves

Front 53

What sets of nerves does the maxillary branch of trigeminal give rise to?

Back 53

maxillary, infraorbital nerves

Front 54

What sets of nerves does the mandibular branch of trigeminal give rise to?

Back 54

mandibular, mental nerves

Front 55

How many times does the ICA pass through the cavernous sinus?

Back 55

twice - as it doubles back on itself at the level of the lesser wing of the sphenoid (anterior clinoid process)

Front 56

What major structure does the cavernous sinus drain?

Back 56

The orbit (as the ophthalmic vein drains into the cavernous sinus)

Front 57

What glands are innervated by postganglionic neurones of the pterygopalatine ganglion?

Back 57

lacrimal, nasal and palatine glands

Front 58

Which petrosal nerve is a branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve?

Back 58

lesser petrosal nerve

Front 59

What nerve synapses on the otic ganglion?

Back 59

lesser petrosal nerve

Front 60

What is the name of the thin dura encasing the pituitary gland?

Back 60

sella diaphragm