Hiatus for lesser petrosal nerve
Encyclopedia
The hiatus for lesser petrosal nerve is a hiatus
in the petrous part of the temporal bone which transmits the lesser petrosal nerve
. It is located posterior to the groove for the superior petrosal sinus and posterolateral to the jugular foramen.
The hiatus for lesser petrosal nerve receives the lesser petrosal nerve as it branches from the glossopharyngeal nerve
(CN IX) before the glossopharyngeal enters the posterior cranial fossa
through the jugular foramen
. The lesser petrosal nerve then travels anteriorly from the hiatus toward the foramen ovale
, through which it exits the cranial cavity
.
Hiatus (anatomy)
In anatomy, a hiatus is a natural fissure in a structure.Examples include:* Esophageal hiatus, the opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes from the thorax into the abdomen* Hiatus for greater petrosal nerve* Maxillary hiatus...
in the petrous part of the temporal bone which transmits the lesser petrosal nerve
Lesser petrosal nerve
The lesser petrosal nerve consists of parasympathetic fibres. It leaves the tympanic plexus to synapse in the otic ganglion, and eventually provide parasympathetic innervation to the parotid gland....
. It is located posterior to the groove for the superior petrosal sinus and posterolateral to the jugular foramen.
The hiatus for lesser petrosal nerve receives the lesser petrosal nerve as it branches from the glossopharyngeal nerve
Glossopharyngeal nerve
The glossopharyngeal nerve is the ninth of twelve pairs of cranial nerves . It exits the brainstem out from the sides of the upper medulla, just rostral to the vagus nerve...
(CN IX) before the glossopharyngeal enters the posterior cranial fossa
Posterior cranial fossa
The posterior cranial fossa is part of the intracranial cavity, located between the foramen magnum and tentorium cerebelli. It contains the brainstem and cerebellum.This is the most inferior of the fossae. It houses the cerebellum, medulla and pons....
through the jugular foramen
Jugular foramen
The jugular foramen is a large aperture in the base of the skull. It is located behind the carotid canal and is formed in front by the petrous portion of the temporal, and behind by the occipital; it is generally larger on the right than on the left side....
. The lesser petrosal nerve then travels anteriorly from the hiatus toward the foramen ovale
Foramen ovale
There are multiple structures in the human body with the name foramen ovale :* In the fetal heart, the foramen ovale is a shunt from the right atrium to left atrium....
, through which it exits the cranial cavity
Cranial cavity
The cranial cavity, or intracranial space, is the space formed inside the skull. The brain occupies the cranial cavity, which is lined by the meninges and which contains cerebrospinal fluid to cushion blows....
.