| Foramen lacerum | |
|---|---|
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| Details | |
| System | Skeletal |
| Parts | Temporal bone, sphenoid bone, occipital bone |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | foramen lacerum |
| TA98 | A02.1.00.055 |
| TA2 | 459 |
| FMA | 54809 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The foramen lacerum (Latin: lacerated piercing) is a triangular hole in the base of skull. It is located between the sphenoid bone, the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone, and the basilar part of the occipital bone.
The foramen lacerum (Latin: lacerated piercing) is a triangular hole in the base of skull. It is located between 3 bones:
It is the junction point of 3 sutures of the skull:
Structures passing through the foramen lacerum include:
It is situated anteromedially to the carotid canal.[1]: 776
The internal carotid artery passes from the carotid canal 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).[7]
The foramen lacerum fills with cartilage after birth.[1]: 776
The foramen lacerum has been described as a portal of entry into the cranium for tumours, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, juvenile angiofibroma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, malignant melanoma, and lymphoma.[8][9]
The first recorded mention of the foramen lacerum was by anatomist Wenzel Gruber in 1869.[10][8] Study of the foramen has been neglected for many years because of the small role it plays in intracranial surgery.[8]
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| Anterior cranial fossa |
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| Middle cranial fossa |
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| Posterior cranial fossa |
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| Orbit |
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| Pterygopalatine fossa |
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| Other |
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