middle cranial fossa

fossa cranii media

The compartment containing the anterior extremities and half the inferior surface of the temporal lobes (TEMPORAL LOBE) of the cerebral hemispheres. Lying posterior and inferior to the anterior cranial fossa (CRANIAL FOSSA, ANTERIOR), it is formed by part of the TEMPORAL BONE and SPHENOID BONE. It is separated from the posterior cranial fossa (CRANIAL FOSSA, POSTERIOR) by crests formed by the superior borders of the petrous parts of the temporal bones[MESH]. The middle fossa, deeper than the anterior cranial fossa, is narrow medially and widens laterally to the sides of the skull. It is separated from the posterior fossa by the clivus and the petrous crest. It is bounded in front by the posterior margins of the lesser wings of the sphenoid bone, the anterior clinoid processes, and the ridge forming the anterior margin of the chiasmatic groove; behind, by the superior angles of the petrous portions of the temporal bones and the dorsum sellC&; laterally by the temporal squamC&, sphenoidal angles of the parietals, and greater wings of the sphenoid. It is traversed by the squamosal, sphenoparietal, sphenosquamosal, and sphenopetrosal sutures[WP].

Tipo Bone
Estructura principal cranial fossa
Nombre latino fossa cranii media
FMA ID 54369

Preguntas frecuentes

What is the middle cranial fossa?
The middle cranial fossa is the central compartment of the internal base of the skull, lying between the anterior and posterior cranial fossae. It is a butterfly-shaped depression that houses the temporal lobes of the brain and various important nerves and vessels.
What bones form the middle cranial fossa?
The middle cranial fossa is formed by the greater wings of the sphenoid bone anteriorly and laterally, and the squamous and petrous parts of the temporal bone posteriorly and laterally. The body of the sphenoid forms the central floor.
What structures pass through the middle cranial fossa?
The middle cranial fossa contains several important foramina: the optic canal, superior orbital fissure, foramen rotundum, foramen ovale, foramen spinosum, and foramen lacerum, through which pass cranial nerves II–VI, the middle meningeal artery, and blood vessels.
What brain structures lie in the middle cranial fossa?
The anterior extremities (temporal poles) of the temporal lobes of the brain rest in the middle cranial fossa. The pituitary gland sits in the sella turcica, a depression in the central sphenoid within this fossa.
What is the clinical significance of the middle cranial fossa?
The middle meningeal artery runs in grooves in the floor of the middle cranial fossa and is vulnerable to rupture in temporal bone fractures, causing extradural hematomas. The cavernous sinus, containing multiple cranial nerves, also lies in this region.

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Data sources: Terminologia Anatomica, Foundational Model of Anatomy, Wikidata.