Posterior cranial fossa

Posterior cranial fossa
Posterior cranial fossa
Posterior fossa.png
Base of the skull. Upper surface. The Posterior cranial fossa is labeled in green.
Latin fossa cranii posterior
Gray's subject #47 192
MeSH Cranial+Fossa,+Posterior

The posterior cranial fossa is part of the intracranial cavity, located between the foramen magnum and tentorium cerebelli. It contains the brainstem and cerebellum.

This is the most inferior of the fossae. It houses the cerebellum, medulla and pons. Anteriorly it extends to the apex of the petrous temporal. Posteriorly it is enclosed by the occipital bone. Laterally portions of the squamous temporal and mastoid part of the temporal bone form its walls.

Contents

Features

Foramen magnum

See main article at Foramen magnum

The most conspicuous, large opening in the floor of the fossa. It transmits the medulla, the ascending portions of the spinal accessory nerve (XI), and the vertebral arteries.

Internal acoustic meatus

Lies in the anterior wall of the posterior cranial fossa. It transmits the facial (VII) and vestibulocochlear (VIII) cranial nerves into canal in the petrous temporal bone.

Jugular foramen

Lies between the inferior edge of the petrous temporal bone and the adjacent occipital bone and transmits the internal jugular vein (actually begins here), the glossopharyngeal (IX), the vagus (X) and the accessory (XI) nerves.

Anterior condylar (hypoglossal) canal

Lies at the anterolateral margins of the f. magnum and transmits the hypoglossal (XII) nerve.

Other

Also visible in the posterior cranial fossa are depressions caused by the venous sinuses returning blood from the brain to the venous circulation: Right and left transverse sinuses which meet at the confluence of sinuses (marked by the internal occipital protuberance).

The transverse sinuses pass horizontally from the most posterior point of the occiput.

Where the apex of the petrous temporal meets the squamous temporal, the transverse sinuses lead into sigmoid (S-shaped) sinuses (one on each side).

These pass along the articulation between the posterior edge of the petrous temporal and the anterior edge of the occipital bones to the jugular foramen where the sigmoid sinus becomes the internal jugular vein.

Note that a superior petrosal sinus enters the junction of the transverse and sigmoid sinuses. Also an inferior petrosal sinus enters the sigmoid sinus near the jugular foramen.

The posterior cranial fossa is formed in the endocranium, and holds the most basal parts of the brain.

Additional images

  • Base of skull

  • A tumor of the posterior fossa leading to mass effect and shift of the fourth ventricle

See also

External links

v · d · eBones of head and neck: compound structures of skull (TA A02.1.00.002–052, GA 2.178–199)
Neurocranium

Calvaria (Diploë)

Asterion · Pterion · Stephanion · Bregma · Lambda

Fossae: anterior cranial fossa · middle cranial fossa · posterior cranial fossa · cranial cavity

Base of skull

Fontanelles: anterior · posterior · sphenoidal · mastoid
Facial skeleton
Nasion · Gonion
Both

M: BON/CAR

anat(c/f/k/f, u, t/p, l)/phys/devp/cell

noco/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(M5)
v · d · eBones of head and neck: Foramina of the skull (and canals, fissures, meati, and hiati) (TA A02.1.00.053–097, GA 2.178–199)
Anterior cranial fossa
to Orbit: ethmoidal foramina (anterior, posterior)
to Nasal cavity: olfactory foramina (CN-I) · foramen cecum
Middle cranial fossa
Posterior cranial fossa
Orbit

to Nasal cavity: nasolacrimal canal

to Face: supraorbital (notch, foramen) · infraorbital (foramen, groove) · zygomatic foramen (-facial, -temporal)

to Pterygopalatine fossa: inferior orbital fissure

other: Inferior orbital fissure · Fossa for lacrimal sac
Pterygopalatine fossa

to Oral cavity: incisive canals · incisive foramen

to Nasal cavity: Foramen vomerinum · Meatus vomerinus · Fissura vomerina · Hiatus vomerinus
Other

M: BON/CAR

anat(c/f/k/f, u, t/p, l)/phys/devp/cell

noco/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(M5)

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • Middle cranial fossa — Base of the skull. Upper surface. (Middle cranial fossa is the centermost of the three indentations, in pink and yellow.) Latin fossa cranii media Gray s …   Wikipedia

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  • cranial fossa — noun : one of the three large depressions in the posterior, middle, and anterior aspects of the floor of the cranial cavity which lodge respectively the cerebellum and the temporal and frontal lobes of the two hemispheres of the cerebrum …   Useful english dictionary

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  • fossa cranii posterior — [TA] posterior cranial fossa: the posterior subdivision of the floor of the cranial cavity, lodging the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata; it is formed by portions of the sphenoid, temporal, parietal, and occipital bones …   Medical dictionary

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