The foramen lacerum () is a triangular hole in the

base of the skull The base of skull, also known as the cranial base or the cranial floor, is the most inferior area of the skull. It is composed of the endocranium and the lower parts of the calvaria. Structure Structures found at the base of the skull are for ...

. It is located between the

sphenoid bone The sphenoid bone is an unpaired bone of the neurocranium. It is situated in the middle of the skull towards the front, in front of the basilar part of occipital bone, basilar part of the occipital bone. The sphenoid bone is one of the seven bon ...

, the apex of the petrous part of the

temporal bone The temporal bone is a paired bone situated at the sides and base of the skull, lateral to the temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex. The temporal bones are overlaid by the sides of the head known as the temples where four of the cranial bone ...

, and the basilar part of the

occipital bone The occipital bone () is a neurocranium, cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone lies over the occipital lob ...

Structure

The foramen lacerum () is a triangular hole in the

base of skull The base of skull, also known as the cranial base or the cranial floor, is the most Anatomical terms of location#Superior and inferior, inferior area of the human skull, skull. It is composed of the endocranium and the lower parts of the Calvaria ...

. It is located between 3 bones: *

(forming the anterior border) * apex of petrous part of

(forming the posterolateral border) * basilar part of

(forming the posteromedial border) It is the junction point of 3 sutures of the skull: * petroclival (petrooccipital) suture *

sphenopetrosal suture The sphenopetrosal fissure (or sphenopetrosal suture) is the cranial suture between the sphenoid bone and the petrous portion of the temporal bone. It is in the middle cranial fossa The middle cranial fossa is formed by the sphenoid bones, and t ...

* sphenooccipital suture

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 The internal carotid plexus is a nerve plexus situated upon the lateral side of the internal carotid artery. It is composed of post-ganglionic sympathetic fibres which have synapsed at (i.e. have their nerve cell bodies at) the superior cervical g ...

) * emissary veins (connecting extracranial

pterygoid plexus The pterygoid plexus (;Entry "pterygoid"
in

with the intracranial

cavernous sinus The cavernous sinus within the human head is one of the dural venous sinuses creating a cavity called the lateral sellar compartment bordered by the temporal bone of the skull and the sphenoid bone, lateral to the sella turcica. Structure The ...

) * one of the terminal branches of the

ascending pharyngeal artery The ascending pharyngeal artery is an artery of the neck that supplies the pharynx. Its named branches are the inferior tympanic artery, pharyngeal artery, and posterior meningeal artery. inferior tympanic artery, and the meningeal branches (i ...

Relations

It is situated anteromedially to the

carotid canal The carotid canal is a passage in the petrous part of the temporal bone of the skull through which the internal carotid artery and its internal carotid (nervous) plexus pass from the neck into (the middle cranial fossa of) the cranial cavity. ...

. The

internal carotid artery The internal carotid artery is an artery in the neck which supplies the anterior cerebral artery, anterior and middle cerebral artery, middle cerebral circulation. In human anatomy, the internal and external carotid artery, external carotid ari ...

passes from the

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).

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 The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...

for tumours, including

nasopharyngeal carcinoma Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), or nasopharynx cancer, is the most common cancer originating in the nasopharynx, most commonly in the postero-lateral nasopharynx or pharyngeal recess (fossa of Rosenmüller), accounting for 50% of cases. NPC occurs ...

, juvenile angiofibroma,

adenoid cystic carcinoma Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare type of cancer that can exist in many different body sites. This tumor most often occurs in the salivary glands, but it can also be found in many anatomic sites, including the breast, lacrimal gland, human lung, ...

, malignant melanoma, and

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). The name typically refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlarged lymph node ...

History

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

Additional images

File:Base of skull 16.jpg, Foramen lacerum

References

External links

* - "Internal view of skull." * Photo of model at Waynesburg College
skeleton/foramenlacerum
' * () *

{{Authority control Foramina of the skull