Petrous apex
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Hacking C, Smith D, Baba Y, Petrous apex. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 17 Jan 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-66916
rID:
66916
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Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Last revised:
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At the time the article was last revised Derek Smith had no recorded disclosures.
View Derek Smith's current disclosures
Revisions:
3 times, by
3 contributors -
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The petrous apex is the pyramid-shaped anteromedial part of the petrous part of the temporal bone. It is oriented obliquely in the skull base and articulates with the posterior aspect of the greater wing of the sphenoid and occipital bones.
The lateral boundary is the inner ear, medially the petro-occipital fissure, anteriorly the petrosphenoidal fissure and petrous part of the internal carotid artery in the carotid canal and posteriorly the posterior cranial fossa. Superiorly is the middle cranial fossa, Meckel cave and petrous ICA. Inferiorly is the jugular bulb and inferior petrosal sinus.
The internal auditory canal divides it into a larger anterior portion, containing bone marrow that may be pneumatized and a smaller posterior portion, derived from the otic capsule.
On this page:
Anatomical variants
- pneumatization of the petrous apex
Related pathology
- petrous apex cephalocoele
- asymmetric fatty bone marrow of the petrous apex
- cholesterol granuloma
- petrous apicitis
See also
Quiz questions
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References
- 1. Razek AA, Huang BY. Lesions of the petrous apex: classification and findings at CT and MR imaging. (2012) Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. 32 (1): 151-73. doi:10.1148/rg.321105758 - Pubmed
- 2. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. ISBN: 9780702052309
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Petro-occipital fissure
- Carotid canal
- Acquired cholesteatoma
- Skull (Towne view)
- Dorello canal
- Intraosseous schwannoma
- Petrous apex lesions (differential)
- Vestibular schwannoma
- Gradenigo syndrome
- Dorsum sellae
- Abducens nerve
- Petrous part of temporal bone
- Michel aplasia
- Porus trigeminus
- Body of sphenoid
- Intracranial epidermoid cyst
- Meckel’s cave
- Acute mastoiditis
- Cavernous sinus
- Trigeminal ganglion
Cases:
Multiple choice questions:
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