Pterygoid canal

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Pterygoid canal
Base of skull. Inferior surface. (Sphenoid is yellow.)
Sphenoid bone. Anterior and inferior surfaces. (Pterygoid c. labeled at center left.)
Latin	c. pterygoideus
Gray's	subject #46 180
Artery	artery of the pterygoid canal
Nerve	nerve of pterygoid canal
Dorlands/Elsevier	c_04/12208798

The pterygoid canal (also vidian canal) is a passage in the skull leading from just anterior to the foramen lacerum in the middle cranial fossa to the pterygopalatine fossa.

Contents 1 Structure 2 Contents 3 Additional images 4 External links

[edit] Structure

The pterygoid canal runs through the medial pterygoid plate of the sphenoid bone to the back wall of the pterygopalatine fossa.

[edit] Contents

It transmits the nerve of pterygoid canal and artery of the pterygoid canal.

[edit] Additional images

Medial wall of left orbit.

[edit] External links

• SUNY Figs 22:4b-08
• Pterygoid+canal at eMedicine Dictionary
• Norman/Georgetown cranialnerves (VII)

v • d • e Bones of head and neck: the cranium of the skull Occipital Squama external (Inion/External occipital protuberance, Nuchal lines) - planes (Occipital, Nuchal) - internal (Cruciform eminence, Internal occipital protuberance, Sagittal sulcus, Internal occipital crest) Lateral parts Condyle (Condyloid fossa, Condylar canal) - Hypoglossal canal - jugular (Jugular process, Jugular tubercle) Basilar part Pharyngeal tubercle Other Foramen magnum Parietal Parietal eminence - Temporal line - Parietal foramen Frontal Squama Frontal suture - Frontal eminence - external (Superciliary arches, Glabella) - foramina (Supraorbital, Cecum) - Zygomatic process - internal (Sagittal sulcus, Frontal crest) Orbital part Ethmoidal notch - Lacrimal fossa - Trochlear fovea - Frontal sinus - Frontonasal duct Temporal Squama Articular tubercle - Suprameatal triangle - Mandibular fossa - Petrotympanic fissure - Zygomatic process Mastoid part Mastoid foramen - Mastoid process (Mastoid cells) - Mastoid notch - Occipital groove - Sigmoid sulcus - Mastoid antrum (Entrance) Petrous part Carotid canal - Facial canal (Hiatus) - Internal auditory meatus - Aqueduct of cochlea - Stylomastoid foramen fossae (Subarcuate fossa, Jugular fossa) - canaliculi (Inferior tympanic, Mastoid) - Styloid process - Petrosquamous suture (note: ossicles in petrous part, but not part of temporal bone) Tympanic part Suprameatal spine Sphenoid Surfaces Superior surface: Sella turcica (Dorsum sellae, Tuberculum sellae, Hypophysial fossa, Posterior clinoid processes) - Ethmoidal spine - Chiasmatic groove - Middle clinoid process - Petrosal process - Clivus Lateral surface: Carotid groove - Sphenoidal lingula Anterior surface: Sphenoidal sinuses Great wings foramina (Rotundum, Ovale, Vesalii, Spinosum) - Spine - Infratemporal crest - Sulcus for auditory tube Small wings Superior orbital fissure - Anterior clinoid process - Optic canal Pterygoid processes fossae (Pterygoid, Scaphoid) - pterygoid plates (Lateral, Medial) - Pterygoid canal - Hamulus Other Body - Sphenoidal conchae Ethmoid Plates Cribriform plate (Crista galli, Olfactory foramina) - Perpendicular plate Surfaces Lateral surface Orbital lamina - Uncinate process Medial surface Superior nasal concha - Superior meatus - Middle nasal concha - Middle meatus Labyrinth Ethmoid sinus - ethmoidal foramina (Posterior, Anterior)

v • d • e Foramina of the skull (and canals, fissures, meati, and hiati) Anterior cranial fossa to Orbit: ethmoidal foramina (anterior, posterior) to Nasal cavity: olfactory foramina (CN-I) - foramen cecum Middle cranial fossa to Orbit: optic canal (CN-II) - superior orbital fissure (CN-III,IV,V1,VI) to Pterygopalatine fossa: foramen rotundum (CN-V2) - pterygoid canal to Infratemporal fossa: foramen ovale (CN-V3) - foramen spinosum/carotid canal other: foramen lacerum - hiatus for greater petrosal nerve - hiatus for lesser petrosal nerve - sphenoidal emissary foramen Posterior cranial fossa internal auditory meatus/facial canal/stylomastoid foramen (CN-VII,VIII) - jugular foramen (CN-IX,X,XI) - foramen magnum (CN-XI) - hypoglossal canal (CN-XII) - condylar canal - mastoid foramen Orbit to Nasal cavity: nasolacrimal canal to Face: supraorbital (notch, foramen) - infraorbital (foramen, groove) - zygomatic foramen (-facial, -temporal) to Pterygopalatine fossa: inferior orbital fissure Pterygopalatine fossa to Nasal cavity: sphenopalatine foramen to Oral cavity: greater palatine canal/greater palatine foramen - lesser palatine canals/lesser palatine foramina to Infratemporal fossa: pterygomaxillary fissure to Nasopharynx: palatovaginal canal Nasal cavity to Oral cavity: incisive canals - incisive foramen Other external acoustic meatus - mandibular foramen - mental foramen - parietal foramen - petrotympanic fissure - semilunar hiatus