The hiatus for lesser petrosal nerve is a
hiatus
Hiatus may refer to:
* Hiatus (anatomy), a natural fissure in a structure
* Hiatus (stratigraphy), a discontinuity in the age of strata in stratigraphy
*''Hiatus'', a genus of picture-winged flies with sole member species '' Hiatus fulvipes''
* G ...
in the
petrous part of the temporal bone
The petrous part of the temporal bone is pyramid-shaped and is wedged in at the base of the skull between the sphenoid and occipital bones. Directed medially, forward, and a little upward, it presents a base, an apex, three surfaces, and three ...
which transmits the
lesser petrosal nerve
The lesser petrosal nerve (also known as the small superficial petrosal nerve) is the general visceral efferent (GVE) nerve conveying pre-ganglionic parasympathetic secretomotor fibers for the parotid gland from the tympanic plexus to the otic g ...
. It is located posterior to the groove for the superior petrosal sinus and posterolateral to the jugular foramen.
The hiatus for lesser petrosal nerve receives the lesser petrosal nerve as it branches from the
glossopharyngeal nerve
The glossopharyngeal nerve (), also known as the ninth cranial nerve, cranial nerve IX, or simply CN IX, is a cranial nerve that exits the brainstem from the sides of the upper Medulla oblongata, medulla, just anterior (closer to the nose) to t ...
(CN IX) before the glossopharyngeal enters the
posterior cranial fossa
The posterior cranial fossa is the part of the cranial cavity located between the foramen magnum, and tentorium cerebelli. It is formed by the sphenoid bones, temporal bones, and occipital bone. It lodges the cerebellum, and parts of the brai ...
through the
jugular foramen
A jugular foramen is one of the two (left and right) large foramina (openings) in the base of the skull, located behind the carotid canal. It is formed by the temporal bone and the occipital bone. It allows many structures to pass, including the ...
. The lesser petrosal nerve then travels anteriorly from the hiatus toward the
foramen ovale, through which it exits the
cranial cavity
The cranial cavity, also known as intracranial space, is the space within the skull that accommodates the brain. The skull is also known as the cranium. The cranial cavity is formed by eight cranial bones known as the neurocranium that in human ...
.
[Frank H. Netter, MD; ''Atlas of Human Anatomy'', 4th Edition, ]
References
Foramina of the skull
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