PPT on infratemporal fossa

1. INFRATEMPORAL FOSSA – RADIOLOGICAL
ANATOMY
By Dr.Roshna

2.  The infratemporal fossa is the space between
the skull base, lateral pharyngeal wall, and
the ramus of mandible. The fossa is open
posteroinferiorly and has no true anatomical
floor.

3. 12A Boundaries of ITF (red) and MS (yellow) (A) at zygomatic arch
level and (B) at mandibular notch level. pterygoid venous plexus
(arrow) in prestyloid PPS (part of ITF)

4.  medially: lateral pterygoid plate ,tensor veli
palatini and levator veli palatini muscles,
superior constrictor muscle
 laterally: ramus and condylar process of
mandible and zygomatic arch
 anteriorly: posterolateral wall of the maxillary
sinus

5.  posteriorly: carotid sheath
 floor: medial pterygoid muscle
 roof: greater wing of sphenoid; foramen
ovale; foramen spinosum

7. Roof- greater wing of
sphenoid and foramen
ovale
Laterally- mandible and
zygomatic process of maxilla

8. Anteriorly –posterolateral wall of maxillary
sinus

9. Figs 11A and B: ITF(A) 3D CT coronal view shows ITF (red lines)
containing medial pterygoid (MP), lateral pterygoid (LP) muscles with
foramen ovale (arrow) in roof. (B) Axial view . ITF is medial to
zygomatic arch (Z) and vertical ramus (V) reaching from posterior wall
of maxilla (arrowhead) to mastoid process . Medial limit is lateral
pterygoid plate (black arrow) and pharyngeal wall.

10.  with the temporal fossa via the space deep to
the zygomatic arch
 with the pterygopalatine fossa via the
pterygomaxillary fissure
 with the middle cranial fossa via the
foraminae ovale and spinosum.
 With orbit via inferior orbital fissure

13.  Medial and lateral pterygoid muscles
 Maxillary artery and branches
 Pterygoid venous plexus
 Mandibular nerve and its branches
 Chorda tympani nerve
 Posterior superior alveolar nerve of maxillary
nerve

14.  The infratemporal fossa encompasses the
medial parts of the following spaces :
 masticator space
 prestyloid parapharyngeal space

15.  The masticator space are paired suprahyoid
cervical spaces on each side of the face. Each
space is enveloped by the superficial
(investing) layer of the deep cervical fascia.

16.  anteriorly: buccal space
 posterolaterally: parotid space
 medially: parapharyngeal space
 Posteromedially carotid space

17. Axial CT section shows outlines of various spaces MS (blue),
parotid space (yellow), carotid space (orange) and the fat
containing PPS between red and blue lines (arrow)

18.  muscles of mastication
 ramus and body of mandible
 mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve
(Vc) (enters the masticator space via the
foramen ovale )
 ​inferior alveolar nerve
 inferior alveolar artery and vein

19. Fig. 3: MS boundaries (yellow dotted lines) on a coronal CT
section (soft tissue window) with contents, lateral pterygoid
(LP), medial pterygoid (MP), masseter (M). Arrow shows
foramen ovale

20.  The parapharyngeal space is shaped like a
pyramid
 inverted with its base at the skull base
 its apex inferiorly pointing to the greater
cornu of the hyoid bone.

23.  Contents
 Fat (main component)
 Trigeminal nerve (CN V)
 Internal maxillary artery
 Ascending pharyngeal artery
 Pterygoid venous plexus( only small portion)
 Contains no lymph nodes or salivary
 Glands

24.  medial: perpendicular plate of the palatine
bone
 lateral: narrowing to the pterygomaxillary
fissure
 anterior: posterior wall of the maxillary sinus

25.  posterior: sphenoid bone (pterygoid process
and inferior aspect of the greater wing)
 roof: incompletely formed by the greater wing
of the sphenoid bone; inferior orbital fissure
 floor: narrowing to palatine canals; pyramidal
process of the palatine bone

26. Communication on the lateral side with the infratemporal fossa (blue
dot) via the pterygomaxillary fissure (yellow arrow) and on the medial
side with the nasal cavity via the sphenopalatine foramen (green
arrows). The PPF communicates with the foramen lacerum via the
Vidian canal (orange stripes). Communication with the orbit via the
infraorbital fisseure (red arrow).

27.  The pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) contains:
 pterygopalatine ganglion
 descending palatine artery (branch of the
maxillary artery)
 maxillary division of trigeminal nerve (Vb):
enters via foramen rotundum
 nerve of the pterygoid canal

28.  THANK YOU