Pterygopalatine fossa

Question 1

What is the posterior border of the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 1

pterygoid process of the sphenoid bone

Question 2

What is the anterior border of the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 2

maxilla

Question 3

What is the medial border of the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 3

perpendicular plate of the palatine bone

Question 4

What is the lateral border of the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 4

pterygomaxillary fissure

Question 5

What is the floor of the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 5

pyramidal process of the palatine bone

Question 6

What areas does the pterygopalatine fossa communicate with?

Answer 6

• infra temporal fossa via pterygomaxillary fissure
• middle cranial fossa via foramen rotunda and pterygoid canal
• orbit via inferior orbital fissure
• nasal cavity via sphenopalatine foramen
• palate via greater and lesser palatine canals

Question 7

What structures are transmitted from the pterygopalatine fossa to the infratemporal fossa via the pterygomaxillary fissure?

Answer 7

sphenopalatine artery and vein

Question 8

What structures are transmitted from the pterygopalatine fossa to the orbit via the inferior orbital fissure?

Answer 8

infraorbital nerve and zygomatic nerve, both are branches of V2

Question 9

What structures are transmitted from the pterygopalatine fossa to the nasal cavity via the sphenopalatine foramen?

Answer 9

nasal arteries, nasal veins and nasal nerves

Question 10

What structures are transmitted from the pterygopalatine fossa to the palate via the palatine canals?

Answer 10

palatine nerves (from V2), palatine arteries and palatine veins

Question 11

What are the branches of the maxillary nerve associated with the pterygopalatine fossa?

Answer 11

• zygomatic nerves
• superior alveolar nerves
• palatine nerves
• nasal nerves
• infraorbital nerves

Question 12

What does the zygomatic nerve supply?

Answer 12

skin along the lateral orbit and zygomatic arch

Question 13

What does the posterior superior alveolar nerves supply?

Answer 13

• maxillary molars

Question 14

What does the greater palatine nerve supply?

Answer 14

mucosa of the hard palate

Question 15

What does the lesser palatine nerve supply?

Answer 15

mucosa of the soft palate

Question 16

What does the middle superior alveolar nerves supply?

Answer 16

maxillary premolars

Question 17

What does the anterior superior alveolar nerves supply?

Answer 17

maxillary incisors and canines

Question 18

What do the nasal nerves off the maxillary artery supply?

Answer 18

mucosa of the nasal cavity

Question 19

What does the infraorbital nerve supply?

Answer 19

sensory to the lower eyelid, skin of the nose and upper lid

Question 20

What branches from the infraorbital nerve from the floor of the orbit?

Answer 20

nerves to innervate maxillary sinus

anterior and middle superior alveolar nerves

Question 21

What terminal branch of maxillary artery sends branches to the nasal cavity and the palate?

Answer 21

sphenopalatine artery

Question 22

The pterygopalatine ganglion is a parasympathetic ganglion for fibers from which cranial nerve?

Answer 22

CN XII, facial nerve

Question 23

The pterygopalatine ganglion receives neuronal input via which nerve?

Answer 23

the nerve of the pterygoid canal

Question 24

The nerve of the pterygoid canal is made by the merging of which two nerves?

Answer 24

greater petrosal nerve and deep petrosal nerve

Question 25

Greater petrosal nerve is a branch of what cranial nerve and what kind of fibers does it contain?

Answer 25

It is a branch of CN 7, facial nerve, and contains preganglionic parasympathetic fibers headed to the pterygopalatine ganglion

Question 26

Deep petrosal nerve contains what kind of fibers?

Answer 26

postganglionic sympathetic fibers from internal carotid plexus that provide vasomotor innervation to nasal glands, palatine glands and lacrimal glands

Question 27

Postganglionic parasympathetic fibers from the pterygopalatine ganglion distributed where and what type of innervation do they provide?

Answer 27

they are distributed to the lacrimal gland, nasal gland and palatine gland to provide secretomotor innervation

Question 28

Taste fibers from which cranial nerve hitchhike on the lesser and greater palatine nerves to innervate taste receptors on the palate?

Answer 28

CN XII, hypoglossal