Skull landmarks/foramina

General landmarks

100

Where does the skull articulate with the atlas (C1 vertebrae)?

Occipital condyles 

200

What bone (specific part) contains the inner ear?

Petrous part of the temporal bone

300

Find the anterior attachment point of the falx cerebri? 

Crista galli

CN foramina

100

What skull structure does CN II pass through?

Optic Canal

200

The motor neurons that innervate the medial pterygoid muscle exit the skull thru which opening?

1st arch muscle = V3 = foramen ovale

300

Afferent neurons relaying taste from the anterior 2/3 of the tongue would pass through what bony structure first? 

Petrotympanic fissure - then middle ear, facial canal, etc. 

Vessel foramina

100

The vertebral arteries enter the skull through which opening?

Foramen magnum

200

The vessel that supplies blood to the anterior circulation of the brain passes through what bony structure? 

ICA - carotid canal

300

A CT scan reveals a massive hematoma btw the dura and periosteum of the skull. The vessel most likely for this bleed enters the skull thru what opening?

Middel meningeal art. = foramen spinosum

Our patient

100

Our patient has vertigo and nystagmus. What nerve is primarily responsible for relaying this information and what opening does it pass thru to exit the cranial vault?

CN VIII (vestibular nuclei) - internal acoustic meatus 

200

Our patient has a tonically deviated uvula, what nerve is affected and what opening does it exit the skull thru?

Vagus (nucleus ambiguus) - jugular foramen

300

Our patient has Horner syndrome. Describe the course of the third order neuron as it enters the skull and makes its way to eye. Find two bony landmarks that the neurons would pass thru on the way to the eye. 

3rd order sympathetic neurons follow the ICA and then branch off to follow V1 distribution (long and short ciliary nerves) - carotid canal, superior orbital fissure