Foramen lacerum explained

Foramen lacerum
Latin:	foramen lacerum
System:	Skeletal
Components:	Temporal bone, sphenoid bone, occipital bone

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.

Structure

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

• sphenoid bone (forming the anterior border)^[1]
• apex of petrous part of temporal bone (forming the posterolateral border)^[2]
• basilar part of occipital bone (forming the posteromedial border)

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

• petroclival (petrooccipital) suture^[3]
• sphenopetrosal suture
• sphenooccipital suture

Contents

Structures passing through the foramen lacerum include:

• greater petrosal nerve and deep petrosal nerve which merge within the foramen to form the nerve of the pterygoid canal
• nerve of the pterygoid canal
• artery of the pterygoid canal
• recurrent artery of the foramen lacerum (supplies the internal carotid plexus)^[4]
• emissary veins (connecting extracranial pterygoid plexus with the intracranial cavernous sinus)^[5]
• one of the terminal branches of the ascending pharyngeal artery

Relations

It is situated anteromedially to the carotid canal.

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).^[6]

Development

The foramen lacerum fills with cartilage after birth.

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.^{[7] [8]}

History

The first recorded mention of the foramen lacerum was by anatomist Wenzel Gruber in 1869.^[9] Study of the foramen has been neglected for many years because of the small role it plays in intracranial surgery.

External links

• - "Internal view of skull."
• Photo of model at Waynesburg College skeleton/foramenlacerum
• Web site: Anatomy diagram: 34257.000-1. Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator. Elsevier. https://web.archive.org/web/20120722052131/http://www.tk.de/rochelexikon/pics/s34257.000-1.html. 2012-07-22.
• Image at ucsd.edu

Notes and References

1. Book: Drake, Richard L. . Gray's anatomy for students . Vogl, Wayne . Tibbitts, Adam W.M. Mitchell . illustrations by Richard . Richardson, Paul . Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone . 2005 . 978-0-8089-2306-0 . Philadelphia.
2. Book: Chae. Ricky. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128221983000367. Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Rubio. Roberto Rodriguez. Elsevier. 2020. 978-0-12-822198-3. 170. 143–156. 14 - Anatomy of petrous face. 10.1016/B978-0-12-822198-3.00036-7. 32586486 . 220077819 . 0072-9752.
3. Book: Netter . Frank H. . Netter's Head and Neck Anatomy for Dentistry . Norton . Neil S. . . 2011 . 2nd . 47–50 . en.
4. Book: Seker . Askin . Meningiomas . Martins . Carolina . Rhoton . Albert L. . 2010 . 978-1-4160-5654-6 . . 11–51 . 2 - Meningeal Anatomy . 10.1016/B978-1-4160-5654-6.00002-7 . https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9781416056546000027.
5. Book: Sinnatamby, Chummy S. . Last's Anatomy . Elsevier Australia. 2011 . 978-0-7295-3752-0 . 12th . 364.
6. Book: Tubbs . R. Shane . Bergman's Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation . Shoja . Mohammadali M. . Loukas . Marios . 25 April 2016 . John Wiley & Sons . 9781118430279 . 450 . en.
7. Tauber. M. van Loveren. HR. Jallo. G. Romano. A. Keller. JT. The enigmatic foramen lacerum.. Neurosurgery. February 1999. 44. 2. 386-91; discussion 391-3. 9932893. 10.1097/00006123-199902000-00083.
8. Book: Christodouleas, Boris Hristov, Steven H. Lin, John P.. Radiation oncology : a question-based review. 2010. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Philadelphia, Pa.. 978-1608314447. 138.
9. Book: Gruber. Wenzel. Beitrage Zur Anatomie Des Schadelgrundes. 1869. 9781162306223.