Base of the skull
Last revised by Tariq Walizai
on 6 Jul 2024
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Mudgal P, Walizai T, Bell D, et al. Base of the skull. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 19 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-28333
rID:
28333
Article created:
21 Mar 2014,
Prashant Mudgal
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Prashant Mudgal had no recorded disclosures.
View Prashant Mudgal's current disclosures
Last revised:
6 Jul 2024,
Tariq Walizai
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Tariq Walizai had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Tariq Walizai's current disclosures
Revisions:
16 times, by
10 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Skull base
- Skull bases
- Cranial floor
- Cranial base
The base of the skull (or skull base) forms the floor of the cranial cavity and separates the brain from the structures of the neck and face. The skull base and vault collectively form the neurocranium.
On this page:
Gross anatomy
The base of the skull is a bony diaphragm composed of a number of bones - from anterior to posterior:
temporal bones (paired)
-
parietal bones (paired)
some texts state that the base does not include the parietal bones
These bones are separated from each other by sutures. Sutures which take part in the formation of the skull base include:
Regions
The inner surface of the base of the skull is divided by the sphenoidal ridge anteriorly and the petrous ridge posteriorly into three regions or fossae:
Additionally, a poorly-defined region termed the central base of skull is often used clinically to denote the region centred on the pituitary fossa and surrounding structures.
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Foramina
The base of the skull is perforated by numerous foramina which allow vessels and nerves to pass through the base of the skull allowing the intracranial cavity to communicate with the rest of the body - see main article: cranial foramina for further details.
References
- 1. Johannes Lang. Skull Base and Related Structures. (2001) ISBN: 9783794519477 - Google Books
- 2. Raj Kumar, AK Mahapatra. Textbook of Traumatic Brain Injury. (2012) ISBN: 9789380704760 - Google Books
- 3. Raut A, Naphade P, Chawla A. Imaging of Skull Base: Pictorial Essay. Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2012;22(4):305-16. doi:10.4103/0971-3026.111485 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Classification system for midline abnormalities of the brain and skull
- Basilar invagination
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (P)
- Temporal bone
- Ecchordosis physaliphora
- Necrotizing otitis externa
- Olfactory neuroblastoma (staging)
- CSF-lymphatic fistula
- Parapharyngeal space
- Clival masses
- Basilar fractures of the skull
- Clivus
- Sinonasal mucosal melanoma
- Neurocranium
- Infratemporal fossa
- Pneumosinus dilatans
- Suprabullar recess
- Achondroplasia
- Arrested pneumatisation of the skull base
- Tumors of the base of skull (differential diagnosis)
Cases:
- Occipital bone osteomyelitis
- Nasopharyngeal carcinoma with skull base invasion
- Base of skull (illustrations)
- Central base of skull meningioma
- Traumatic pneumocranium, cribriform plate fracture and subarachnoid haemorrhage
- Base of skull (illustration)
- Brain contusions, internal carotid artery dissection and base of skull fracture
- Multiple skull fractures in a trauma patient
- Extradural haematoma and base of skull fracture
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
-
cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
-
sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
- sphenozygomatic suture
- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
- lacrimomaxillary suture
- nasomaxillary suture
- internasal suture
- basal/internal
- skull landmarks
- frontal bone
- temporal bone
- parietal bone
- occipital bone
- skull base (foramina)
-
facial bones
- midline single bones
- paired bilateral bones
- cervical spine
- hyoid bone
- laryngeal cartilages
-
cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
- muscles of mastication
-
facial muscles
- epicranius muscle
- circumorbital and palpebral muscles
- nasal muscles
-
buccolabial muscles
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- malaris muscle
- risorius muscle
- depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip
- depressor labii inferioris muscle
- depressor anguli oris muscle
- mentalis muscle
- compound sphincter
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- incisivus labii superioris muscle
- incisivus labii inferioris muscle
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- muscle of mastication
- modiolus
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
- muscles of the soft palate
- pharyngeal muscles
- suprahyoid muscles
- infrahyoid muscles
- intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- muscles of the neck
- platysma muscle
- longus colli muscle
- longus capitis muscle
- scalenus anterior muscle
- scalenus medius muscle
- scalenus posterior muscle
- scalenus pleuralis muscle
- sternocleidomastoid muscle
-
suboccipital muscles
- rectus capitis posterior major muscle
- rectus capitis posterior minor muscle
- obliquus capitis superior muscle
- obliquus capitis inferior muscle
- accessory muscles of the neck
- deep cervical fascia
-
deep spaces of the neck
- anterior cervical space
- buccal space
- carotid space
- danger space
- deep cervical fascia
- infratemporal fossa
- masticator space
- parapharyngeal space
- stylomandibular tunnel
- parotid space
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- perivertebral space
- posterior cervical space
- pterygopalatine fossa
- retropharyngeal space
- suprasternal space (of Burns)
- visceral space
- surgical triangles of the neck
- orbit
- ear
- paranasal sinuses
- upper respiratory tract
- viscera of the neck
- blood supply of the head and neck
-
arterial supply
-
common carotid artery
- carotid body
- carotid bifurcation
- subclavian artery
- variants
-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- vagus nerve (CN X)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- cervical sympathetic ganglia
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
-
cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
-
ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
- sternohyoid
- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
- pharyngeal plexus
-
cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck
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