The petrous apex is located in the temporal bone — one of the bones of the skull that houses the structures of the ear. Fluid in a petrous apex air cell (like fluid in a sinus) Mucocele (a benign, expanding cyst filled with mucus)
What are the petrous pyramid?
The petrous pyramid is the partition separating the middle and posterior cranial fossae, as shown in Figure 1. It is pyramid shaped with three lateral surfaces and a base, all triangular in shape, and is surrounded by cortical bone. The base of the pyramid is facing laterally while the apex faces the midline.
Where are the petrous pyramids?
The petrous part of the temporal bone is pyramid-shaped and is wedged in at the base of the skull between the sphenoid and occipital bones. Directed medially, forward, and a little upward, it presents a base, an apex, three surfaces, and three angles, and houses in its interior, the components of the inner ear.
What is petrous apex lesion?
The petrous apex refers to a portion of the temporal bone situated approximately two to three inches in from the outer portion of the ear. Fluid-filled cysts, cholesteatomas, cholesterol granulomas, and other types of lesions may develop on the petrous apex and require medical intervention.
What does Petrous mean in anatomy?
Definition of petrous : of, relating to, or constituting the exceptionally hard and dense portion of the human temporal bone that contains the internal auditory organs.
Where is the petrous part of the temporal bone?
What are processes of petrous part?
a shallow groove, sometimes double, leading lateralward and backward to an oblique opening, the hiatus for greater petrosal nerve, for the passage of the greater petrosal nerve and for the petrosal branch of the middle meningeal artery.
What does the term Petrous mean?
What does petrous mean in anatomy?
What is the petrous bone?
The human petrous bone in the skull protects the inner ear structures. Found near our ears, this pyramid-shaped portion of the temporal bone is nicknamed the petrous bone.
What is meant by petrous part of temporal bone?
The petrous part is a wedge shaped mass of bone located between the sphenoid and occipital bones within the cranial cavity. It is the most medial part of the temporal bone, and it is the landmark dividing the middle and posterior cranial fossae from each other.
What is the function of the petrous part?
It transmits the facial and acoustic nerves and the internal auditory branch of the basilar artery. The lateral end of the canal is closed by a vertical plate, which is divided by a horizontal crest, the falciform crest, into two unequal portions.
What is the structure of the petrous pyramid?
The petrous pyramid is the partition separating the middle and posterior cranial fossae, as shown in Figure 1. It is pyramid shaped with 3 lateral surfaces and a base, all triangular; and is surrounded by cortical bone. The base of the pyramid faces laterally whereas the apex faces the midline.
What is the pathophysiology of petrous apex granuloma?
Petrous apex cholesterol granulomas appear to occur when there is bleeding into the air pockets in the petrous apex and a cyst forms around it. Petrous apex cholesteatomas can be congenital or acquired.
What is a petrous apex cyst?
It is one of the most inaccessible areas to reach in the skull. The petrous apex can have lesions and tumors within it. The most common type of lesion is a petrous apex fluid filled cyst. This petrous apex cyst may take the form of a petrous apex cholesterol granuloma, cholesteatoma (epidermoid), or other type of lesion.
Does the petrous apex of the brain need surgery?
Purpose: When troublesome MR imaging findings are noted in the petrous apex, the radiologist must determine if the area in question needs surgical therapy. Two nonsurgical entities, asymmetric fatty marrow and fluid-filled petrous air cells (trapped fluid), can be noted on conventional brain MR images and confused with pathologic lesions.
