Microsurgical Anatomy of the Jugular Process as an Anatomical Landmark to Access the Jugular Foramen: A Cadaveric and Radiological Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 486-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noritaka Komune ◽  
Satoshi Matsuo ◽  
Koichi Miki ◽  
Ken Matsushima ◽  
Yojiro Akagi ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND The jugular process forms the posteroinferior surface of the jugular foramen and is an important structure for surgical approaches to the foramen. However, its morphological features have not been well described in modern texts. OBJECTIVE To elucidate the microsurgical anatomy of the jugular process and examine its morphological features. METHODS Five adult cadaveric specimens were dissected in a cadaveric study, and computed tomography data from 31 heads (62 sides) were examined using OsiriX (Pixmeo SARL, Bernex, Switzerland) to elucidate the morphological features of the jugular process. RESULTS The cadaveric study showed that it has a close relationship with the sigmoid sinus, jugular bulb, rectus capitis lateralis, lateral atlanto-occipital ligament, and lateral and posterior condylar veins. The radiographic study showed that 9/62 sigmoid sinuses protruded inferiorly into the jugular process and that in 5/62 sides, this process was pneumatized. At the entry of the jugular foramen, if the temporal bone has a bulb-type jugular bulb, and if surgery concerns the right side of the head, the superior surface of the jugular process is more likely to be steep. CONCLUSION The jugular process forms the posteroinferior border of the jugular foramen. Resection of the jugular process is a critical step for opening the jugular foramen from the posterior and lateral aspects. Understanding the morphological features of the jugular process, and preoperative and radiographical examination of this process thus help skull base surgeons to access the jugular foramen.

1995 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 903-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Adetokunboh Ayeni ◽  
Kenji Ohata ◽  
Kiyoaki Tanaka ◽  
Akira Hakuba

✓ The microsurgical anatomy of the jugular foramen was studied in 10 fixed cadavers, each cadaver consisting of the whole head and neck. Five of the cadavers were injected with latex. The jugular foraminal region was exposed using the infratemporal fossa type A approach of Fisch and Pillsbury in five cadavers (10 sides) and the combined cervical dissection—mastoidectomy—suboccipital craniectomy approach in five cadavers (10 sides). The right foramen was larger than the left in seven cases (70%), equal in two cases (20%), and smaller in one case (10%). The dura covering the intracranial portal of the foramen had two perforations, a smaller anteromedial perforation through which passed the ninth cranial nerve (CN IX), and a larger posterolateral perforation, through which passed the 10th and 11th cranial nerves (CNs X and XI) and the distal sigmoid sinus. The perforations were separated by a fibrous septum in 16 specimens (80%). After exiting the posterior fossa, CNs IX, X, and XI all lay anteromedial to the superior jugular bulb (SJB) within the jugular foramen. The inferior petrosal sinus (IPS) entered the foramen between CNs IX and X in most cases; however, in 10% of our cases it entered the foramen between CNs X and XI, and in 10% it entered the foramen caudal to CN XI. The IPS terminated in the SJB in 90% of our cases; in 40%, the IPS termination consisted of multiple channels draining into both the SJB and internal jugular vein. This study shows that the arrangement of the neurovascular structures within the jugular foramen does not conform to the hitherto widely accepted notion of discrete compartmentalization into an anteromedial pars nervosa containing CN IX and the IPS and a posterolateral pars venosa containing the SJB, CNs X and XI, and the posterior meningeal artery.


Author(s):  
K.D. Langdon ◽  
D. Krivosheya ◽  
M.O. Hebb ◽  
B. Wehrli ◽  
L.C. Ang

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare tumour comprising <1% of all primary central nervous system tumours and the majority (~98%) occur supratentorially. We report on a 40-year-old female with a past medical history of a rare posterior fossa/cerebellar PXA who presented with a right-sided neck mass, decreased shoulder power and longstanding right tongue deviation with right-sided hemi-atrophy. The patient had prior tumour debulking. Recent MRI demonstrated an enhancing posterior fossa mass extending to the skull base at the jugular foramen and another mass in the upper neck along the jugular bulb with displacement and encasement of the right common carotid artery down to C5. Resection of the neck mass reveals an anaplastic PXA. The tumour has close approximation with adjacent peripheral nerves and is positive in 2 lymph nodes. Comparison with the original tumour molecular and immunohistochemical profiles reveals a conserved BRAF V600E mutation but the transformed malignant glioma now expresses dot-like EMA positivity and ATRX is completely lost (mutated). Transformation of a PXA (WHO Grade II) into an anaplastic PXA (WHO Grade III) has been well documented, but extracranial extension is extraordinarily rare. We report herein the first documented case of a posterior fossa PXA that underwent malignant transformation and extracranial invasion to the parapharyngeal space.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
SM Akram Hossain ◽  
SM Moshadeq Hossain ◽  
Fakhrul Amin Mohammad Hasanul Banna

Context: The jugular foramen is one of the most fascinating foramen present at the base of the skull attracting the imagination of many Anatomists worldwide as many important structures pass through it, and amongst them the intriguing structure is the internal jugular vein. The shape and size of the jugular foramen is related to the size of the internal jugular vein and the presence or absence of a prominent superior bulb. As most of the textbooks of Anatomy describe that the right jugular foramen is usually larger than the left jugular foramen. Henceforth the present study was undertaken in 55 skulls from the dept. of Anatomy. Measurements were taken with the help of sliding vernier caliper. Study type: Cross-sectional descriptive type. Place and period of study: Department of Anatomy, Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi and Pabna Medical College, Pabna from April 2010 to June 2011. Materials and Methods: Total fifty five (55) human adult skulls were collected from the Anatomy department of Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi and Pabna Medical College, Pabna at different times of the study period. The study was conducted to observe variations in the structure of the jugular foramen of the human’s skull. Result: Out of 55 skulls (110 foramina) studied, the presence of dome indicating the presence of jugular bulb was found bilaterally in 100% of cases. 58.18% of cases showed that the size of right foramina were larger than the left foramina whereas 20% of cases showed that right foramina were equal to the left and in 21.82% of cases the left foramina were larger than the right side foramina. An important observation in the present study was the presence of either complete or partial septation in the jugular foramen. Conclusion: The findings of the study reveals that there are some differences among some parameters. The variations are might be due to the geographical variations of the skeletons. It needs further study with larger sample size from different geographical areas of Bangladesh. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bja.v10i2.17281 Bangladesh Journal of Anatomy, July 2012, Vol. 10 No. 2 pp 45-49


1995 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Essam Saleh ◽  
Maged Naguib ◽  
Yasar Cokkeser ◽  
Miguel Aristegui ◽  
Mario Sanna

With advances in the lateral approaches to the skull base and the increasing success of the management of jugular foramen lesions, a thorough knowledge of the anatomy of this region is needed. The purpose of the present work is to study the detailed microsurgical anatomy of the lower skull base and the jugular foramen area as seen through the lateral approaches. Forty preserved skull base specimens and 5 fresh cadavers were dissected. The shape of the jugular bulb and its relationship to nearby structures were recorded. The different venous connections of the bulb were noted. The hypoglossal canal was identified and its contents were observed. The lower cranial nerves were studied at the level of the upper neck, at their exit from the inferior skull base, and in the jugular foramen. The results of the present study showed the complex and variable anatomy of this area. The classic compartments of the jugular foramen were not always present. Cranial nerves IX through XI followed different patterns while passing through the jugular foramen, being separated from the jugular bulb by bone, thick fibrous tissue, or thin connective tissue.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Yamanaka ◽  
A. Yamamoto ◽  
K. Ishida ◽  
J. Matsuzaki ◽  
T. Ozaki ◽  
...  

Penetrating venous injuries via Zone III of the neck extended over jugular bulb are rare. The optimal strategies for these venous injuries are currently unknown because many of the vital structures in this region are poorly accessible to the surgeon and therefore it is difficult to control bleeding. A 76-year-old man got drunk and fell down onto a paper door. The wooden framework of the paper door was broken and got stuck deep in the right side of his neck. Enhanced computed tomography showed the wood stick had penetrated through the right jugular foramen and injured the jugular bulb. We successfully performed right sigmoid and jugular vein occlusion via an endovascular approach using Guglielmi detachable coils at first and then to draw out the wood stick in order to avoid venous bleeding. To our best knowledge, these venous injuries have reported in only four cases. Only one case was performed by endovascular approach using n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA). Coil embolization is much better than NBCA in the light of reducing complications due to adhesion to the inserted wood stick and embolization of unintended vessels. Venous occlusion using coil embolization is the best way to treat a penetrating jugular bulb injury via zone III because of reducing the hemorrhage and air embolism.


2014 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 397-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Matsushima ◽  
Michihiro Kohno ◽  
Noritaka Komune ◽  
Koichi Miki ◽  
Toshio Matsushima ◽  
...  

Object Jugular foramen tumors often extend intra- and extracranially. The gross-total removal of tumors located both intracranially and intraforaminally is technically challenging and often requires a combined skull base approach. This study presents a suprajugular extension of the retrosigmoid approach directed through the osseous roof of the jugular foramen that allows the removal of tumors located in the cerebellopontine angle with extension into the upper part of the foramen, with demonstration of an illustrative case. Methods The cerebellopontine angles and jugular foramina were examined in dry skulls and cadaveric heads to clarify the microsurgical anatomy around the jugular foramen and to define the steps of the suprajugular exposure. Results The area drilled in the suprajugular approach is inferior to the acoustic meatus, medial to the endolymphatic depression and surrounding the superior half of the glossopharyngeal dural fold. Opening this area exposed the upper part of the jugular foramen and extended the exposure along the glossopharyngeal nerve below the roof of the jugular foramen. In the illustrative case, a schwannoma originating from the glossopharyngeal nerve in the cerebellopontine angle and extending below the roof of the jugular foramen and above the jugular bulb was totally removed without any postoperative complications. Conclusions The suprajugular extension of the retrosigmoid approach will permit removal of tumors located predominantly in the cerebellopontine angle but also extending into the upper part of the jugular foramen without any additional skull base approaches.


Author(s):  
Ravi Sankar Manogaran ◽  
Raj Kumar ◽  
Arulalan Mathialagan ◽  
Anant Mehrotra ◽  
Amit Keshri ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives The aim of the study is to emphasize and explore the possible transtemporal approaches for spectrum of complicated lateral skull base pathologies. Design Retrospective analysis of complicated lateral skull base pathologies was managed in our institute between January 2017 and December 2019. Setting The study was conducted in a tertiary care referral center. Main Outcome Measures The study focused on the selection of approach based on site and extent of the pathology, the surgical nuances for each approach, and the associated complications. Results A total of 10 different pathologies of the lateral skull base were managed by different transtemporal approaches. The most common complication encountered was facial nerve palsy (43%, n = 6). Other complications included cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection (15%, n = 2), cosmetic deformity (24%, n = 4), petrous internal carotid artery injury (7%, n = 1), and hypoglossal nerve palsy (7%, n = 1). The cosmetic deformity included flap necrosis (n = 2) and postoperative bony defects leading to contour defects of the scalp (n = 2). Conclusion Surgical approach should be tailored based on the individual basis, to obtain adequate exposure and complete excision. Selection of appropriate surgical approach should also be based on the training and preference of the operating surgeon. Whenever necessary, combined surgical approaches facilitating full tumor exposure are recommended so that complete tumor excision is feasible. This requires a multidisciplinary team comprising neurosurgeons, neuro-otologist, neuroanesthetist, and plastic surgeons. The surgeon must know precise microsurgical anatomy to preserve the adjacent nerves and vessels, which is necessary for better surgical outcomes.


Skull Base ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (04) ◽  
pp. 243-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heon Yoo ◽  
Hee-Won Jung ◽  
Hee Jin Yang

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (05) ◽  
pp. 427-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noritaka Komune ◽  
Ryosuke Tsuchimochi ◽  
Yasutoshi Kai ◽  
Kenichi Matsumoto ◽  
Sei Haga ◽  
...  

Objective This study aimed to review the anatomical and clinical characteristics of internal carotid-posterior communicating artery (IC-PC) aneurysms, especially those located close to the skull base. Methods The microsurgical anatomy around the posterior communicating artery (PComA) was examined in a dry skull and five formalin-fixed human cadaveric heads. The clinical characteristics of 37 patients with 39 IC-PC aneurysms, who were treated microsurgically between April 2008 and July 2016, were retrospectively reviewed. Results The anterior clinoid process (ACP), as well as the anterior petroclinoidal dural fold (APF), which forms part of the oculomotor triangle, are closely related to the origin of the PComA. Among the 39 IC-PC aneurysms, anterior clinoidectomy was performed on 4 (10.3%) and a partial resection of the APF was performed on 2 (5.1%). Both of these aneurysms projected inferior to the tentorium, or at least part of the aneurysm's dome was inferior to the tentorium. Conclusion Proximally located IC-PC aneurysms have an especially close relationship with the ACP and APF. We should be familiar with the anatomical relationship between IC-PC aneurysms and the structures of the skull base to avoid hazardous complications.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document