Foramina of the Skull

Question 1

What are the foramina found in the anterior cranial fossa?

Answer 1

Foramen cecum; cribriform foramina (in cribriform plate); anterior and posterior ethmoidal foramina

Question 2

What are the foramina found in the middle cranial fossa?

Answer 2

Optic canals; superior orbital fissure; foramen rotundum; foramen ovale; foramen spinosum; foramen lacerum; groove or hiatus of greater petrosal nerve

Question 3

What are the foramina found in the posterior cranial fossa?

Answer 3

Foramen magnum; jugular foramen; hypoglossal canal; condylar canal; mastoid foramen

Question 4

What is CN I?

Answer 4

Olfactory

Question 5

Where does CN I exit in the skull?

Answer 5

Cribriform plate

Question 6

What is CN II?

Answer 6

Optic

Question 7

Where does CN II exit in the skull?

Answer 7

Optic canal

Question 8

What is CN III?

Answer 8

Oculomotor

Question 9

Where does CN III exit in the skull?

Answer 9

Superior orbital fissure

Question 10

What is CN IV?

Answer 10

Trochlear

Question 11

Where does CN IV exit in the skull?

Answer 11

Superior orbital fissure

Question 12

What is CN V1?

Answer 12

Opthalmic

Question 13

Where does CN V1 exit in the skull?

Answer 13

Superior orbital fissure

Question 14

What is CN V2?

Answer 14

Maxillary

Question 15

Where does CN V2 exit in the skull?

Answer 15

Foramen rotundum

Question 16

What is CN V3?

Answer 16

Mandibular

Question 17

Where does CN V3 exit in the skull?

Answer 17

Foramen ovale

Question 18

What is CN VI?

Answer 18

Abducent

Question 19

Where does CN VI exit in the skull?

Answer 19

Superior orbital fissure

Question 20

What is CN VII?

Answer 20

Facial

Question 21

Where does CN VII exit in the skull?

Answer 21

Internal acoustic canal

Question 22

What is CN VIII?

Answer 22

Vestibulo-cochlear

Question 23

Where does CN VIII exit in the skull?

Answer 23

Internal acoustic canal

Question 24

What is CN IX?

Answer 24

Glossopharyngeal

Question 25

Where does CN IX exit in the skull?

Answer 25

Jugular foramen

Question 26

What is CN X?

Answer 26

Vagus

Question 27

Where does CN X exit in the skull?

Answer 27

Jugular foramen

Question 28

What is CN XI?

Answer 28

Spinal accessory

Question 29

Where does CN XI exit in the skull?

Answer 29

Jugular foramen

Question 30

What is CN XII?

Answer 30

Hypoglossal

Question 31

Where does CN XII exit in the skull?

Answer 31

Hypoglossal canal

Question 32

What vein exits through the jugular foramen?

Answer 32

Internal jugular vein

Question 33

Where does the internal jugular vein exit in the skull?

Answer 33

Jugular foramen

Question 34

What structures exit from the jugular foramen of the skull?

Answer 34

Glossopharyngeal (IX); vagus (X); spinal accessory (XI); internal jugular vein

Question 35

What nerves exit from the internal acoustic canal of the skull?

Answer 35

Facial (VII); vestibulo-cochlear (VIII)

Question 36

What nerves exit from the superior orbital fissure of the skull?

Answer 36

Oculomotor (III); trochlear (IV); ophthalmic (V1); abducent (VI)

Question 37

What nerve exits from the cribriform plate of the skull?

Answer 37

Olfactory (I)

Question 38

What nerve exits from the optic canal of the skull?

Answer 38

Optic (II)

Question 39

What nerve exits from the foramen rotundum of the skull?

Answer 39

Maxillary (V2)

Question 40

What nerve exits from the foramen ovale of the skull?

Answer 40

Mandibular (V3)

Question 41

What structures pass through the foramen cecum?

Answer 41

Nasal emissary vein (1% of population)

Question 42

What structures pass through the cribriform foramina in the cribriform plate?

Answer 42

Axons of olfactory cells in olfactory epithelium that form olfactory nerves

Question 43

What structures pass through the anterior and posterior ethmoidal foramina?

Answer 43

Vessels and nerves of the same name

Question 44

What structures pass through the optical canals?

Answer 44

Optic nerves (I) and ophthalmic arteries

Question 45

What structures pass through the superior orbital fissure?

Answer 45

Ophthalmic veins; ophthalmic nerve (V1); oculomotor nerve (III); trochlear nerve (IV); abducent nerve (VI)

Question 46

What structure passes through the foramen rotundum?

Answer 46

Maxillary nerve (V2)

Question 47

What structures passes through the foramen ovale?

Answer 47

Mandibular nerve (V3) and accessory meningeal artery

Question 48

What structures pass through the foramen spinosum?

Answer 48

Middle meningeal artery and vein; meningeal branch of mandibular nerve (V3)

Question 49

What structures pass through the foramen lacerum?

Answer 49

Deep petrosal nerve; meningeal artery branches; small veins; internal carotid artery and sympathetic and venous plexuses

Question 50

What structures pass through the groove or hiatus of the greater petrosal nerve?

Answer 50

Greater petrosal nerve; petrosal branch of meningeal artery

Question 51

How do structures pass through the foramen lacerum?

Answer 51

Horizontally instead of vertically

Question 52

What structures pass through the foramen magnum?

Answer 52

Medulla and meninges; vertebral arteries; spinal accessory nerve (XI); dural veins; anterior and posterior spinal arteries

Question 53

What structures pass through the jugular foramen?

Answer 53

Glossopharyngeal nerve (IX); vagus nerve (X); spinal accessory (XI); superior bulb of internal jugular vein; inferior petroid and sigmoid sinuses; meningeal branches of ascending pharyngeal and occipital arteries

Question 54

What structures pass through the hypoglossal canal?

Answer 54

Hypoglossal nerve (XII)

Question 55

What structures pass through the condylar canal?

Answer 55

Emissary vein (from sigmoid sinus to vertebral veins in neck)

Question 56

What structures pass through the mastoid foramen?

Answer 56

Mastoid emissary vein (from sigmoid sinus and meningeal artery of occipital artery)