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Questions and Answers
What is the boundary of the pterygopalatine fossa superiorly?
What is the boundary of the pterygopalatine fossa superiorly?
Which nerve passes through the foramen rotundum?
Which nerve passes through the foramen rotundum?
What is the function of the maxillary nerve?
What is the function of the maxillary nerve?
What connects the pterygopalatine fossa to the nasal cavity?
What connects the pterygopalatine fossa to the nasal cavity?
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What is the connection between the pterygopalatine fossa and the orbit?
What is the connection between the pterygopalatine fossa and the orbit?
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What is the connection between the pterygopalatine fossa and the infraorbital fossa?
What is the connection between the pterygopalatine fossa and the infraorbital fossa?
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Which canal connects the pterygopalatine fossa to the hard palate?
Which canal connects the pterygopalatine fossa to the hard palate?
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What is the contents of the pterygopalatine fossa?
What is the contents of the pterygopalatine fossa?
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What is the location of the pterygopalatine ganglion?
What is the location of the pterygopalatine ganglion?
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What branch of the facial nerve is responsible for the parasympathetic root of the pterygopalatine ganglion?
What branch of the facial nerve is responsible for the parasympathetic root of the pterygopalatine ganglion?
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Which of the following nerves is connected to the pterygopalatine ganglion through two ganglionic branches?
Which of the following nerves is connected to the pterygopalatine ganglion through two ganglionic branches?
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What is the function of the sympathetic root of the pterygopalatine ganglion?
What is the function of the sympathetic root of the pterygopalatine ganglion?
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Which branch of the pterygopalatine ganglion is responsible for innervating the lacrimal gland?
Which branch of the pterygopalatine ganglion is responsible for innervating the lacrimal gland?
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What is the origin of the sympathetic root of the pterygopalatine ganglion?
What is the origin of the sympathetic root of the pterygopalatine ganglion?
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What is the path of the maxillary nerve after it enters the pterygopalatine fossa?
What is the path of the maxillary nerve after it enters the pterygopalatine fossa?
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What is the distribution of the postganglionic branches of the pterygopalatine ganglion?
What is the distribution of the postganglionic branches of the pterygopalatine ganglion?
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Study Notes
Pterygopalatine Fossa
- Boundaries: Medial - palatine bone, Inferiorly - palatine bone, Anterior - maxilla, Posterior - pterygoid process, Superiorly - body of sphenoid, Lateral - Pterygomaxillary fissure → infratemporal fossa
- Contents: Maxillary nerve and its branches, Pterygopalatine ganglion and its branches, Third part of maxillary artery and its branches
Connections
- Medial wall: Sphenopalatine foramen → nasal cavity
- Posterior wall: Three openings - Foramen rotundum → middle cranial fossa, Pterygoid (Vidian) canal → base of skull, Pharyngeal canal → nasopharynx
- Antero-superior portion: Inferior orbital fissure → orbit
- Lateral wall: Pterygomaxillary fissure → infraorbital fossa
- Lower part: Palatine canals - Greater palatine canal → hard palate, Lesser palatine canal → soft palate
Maxillary Nerve
- Purely sensory
- Leaves the skull through the foramen rotundum
- Descends to the pterygopalatine fossa
- Enters the inferior orbital fissure and the infra-orbital canal → infraorbital nerve
- Branches:
- Middle cranial fossa: Meningeal branch
- Pterygopalatine fossa: Sensory root to pterygoplatine ganglion, Posterior superior alveolar and zygomatic
- Orbit (infraorbital): Middle and anterior superior alveolar, Terminal branches - Labial, nasal, palpebral
Pterygopalatine Ganglion
- Located in the pterygopalatine fossa
- Connected with a branch of V2 by 2 ganglionic branches
- Has afferent (roots) and efferent (branches) roots
- Roots:
- Parasympathetic (secretomotor) - Greater superficial petrosal branch of facial nerve
- Sympathetic (vasomotor) - Deep petrosal plexus around internal carotid artery from superior cervical sympathetic ganglion
- Sensory
- Branches:
- Greater palatine
- Lesser palatine
- Long sphenopalatine
- Short sphenopalatine
- Orbital
- Pharyngeal
- Postganglionic branches are distributed as follows:
- Along sensory roots → Maxillary nerve → Zygomatic → Zygomaticotemporal → Lacrimal → Lacrimal gland
- Along greater & lesser palatine → Palatine glands
- Along nasal branches → Nasal glands
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Description
This quiz covers the boundaries, nerves, vessels, and bony features of the pterygopalatine fossa, a region in the skull.
