Pterygoid canal
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Tariq Walizai had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Tariq Walizai's current disclosures- Vidian's canal
- Vidian canal
The pterygoid canal, also known as the Vidian canal, is a foramen in the base of skull, located in the pterygoid process of the sphenoid bone, superior to the pterygoid plates, and inferomedial to the foramen rotundum. It transmits the Vidian artery and Vidian nerve from the middle cranial fossa to the pterygopalatine fossa.
History and etymology
The Vidian canal is named after the Italian surgeon and anatomist, Guido Guidi (Latin: Vidus Vidius) (1509-1569).
Clinical importance
The pterygoid canal is a reliable landmark for identifying the position of the anterior genu and lacerum segment of the internal carotid artery as it emerges from the petrous bone 2.
It is an important structure as the involvement of the canal in inflammatory or neoplastic disease can result in pain referred deep to the nasal cavity. Pathological appearances of the pterygoid canal have been described to include effacement, atrophy, and enlargement. It can be difficult to distinguish possible pathological changes from normal anatomical variation.
References
- 1- Harnsberger HR, Osborn AG, Ross J et-al. Diagnostic and Surgical Imaging Anatomy. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (2006) ISBN:1931884293. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. David MATO, Hajime YOKOTA, Seiichiro HIRONO, Juan MARTINO, Naokatsu SAEKI. The Vidian Canal: Radiological Features in Japanese Population and Clinical Implications. (2021) Neurologia medico-chirurgica. 55 (1): 71. doi:10.2176/nmc.oa.2014-0173
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