Mastoid foramen

Mastoid foramen
Left temporal bone. Inner surface. (Mastoid foramen labeled at bottom left.)
Base of the skull. Upper surface. (Temporal bone is pink, and label for mastoid foramen is at left, second from the bottom.)
Details
Identifiers
Latin	foramen mastoideum
TA	A02.1.06.008
FMA	53159
*Anatomical terms of bone* [edit on Wikidata]

The mastoid foramen is a large hole in the posterior border of the temporal bone. It transmits a Mastoid emissary vein to the sigmoid sinus and a small branch of the occipital artery, the posterior meningeal artery to the dura mater.

Variations

The position and size of this foramen are very variable; it is not always present; sometimes it is situated in the occipital bone, or in the suture between the temporal and the occipital.

It transmits (1) an emissary vein connecting the sigmoid sinus with the posterior auricular vein and (2) a meningeal branch of the occipital artery

Additional images

Base of skull. Inferior surface.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

Anatomy diagram: 34257.000-1 at Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, Elsevier
Anatomy diagram: 34257.000-2 at Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, Elsevier
Akram Abood Jaffar: Personal website, Anatomical variations

The neurocranium of the skull

Occipital

Squamous part	external Inion/External occipital protuberance External occipital crest Nuchal lines planes Occipital Nuchal internal Cruciform eminence Internal occipital protuberance Sagittal sulcus Internal occipital crest Groove for transverse sinus

Lateral parts	Condyle Condyloid fossa Condylar canal Hypoglossal canal jugular Jugular process Jugular tubercle

Basilar part	Pharyngeal tubercle Clivus

Other	Foramen magnum Basion Opisthion

Parietal

Frontal

Squamous part	Frontal suture Frontal eminence external Superciliary arches Glabella foramina Supraorbital Cecum Zygomatic process internal Sagittal sulcus Frontal crest

Orbital part	Ethmoidal notch Fossa for lacrimal gland Trochlear fovea Frontal sinus Frontonasal duct

Temporal

Squamous part	Articular tubercle Suprameatal triangle Mandibular fossa Petrotympanic fissure Zygomatic process

Mastoid part	Mastoid foramen Mastoid process (Mastoid cells) Mastoid notch Occipital groove Sigmoid sulcus Mastoid antrum (Aditus)

Petrous part	Carotid canal Facial canal Hiatus Internal auditory meatus Cochlear aqueduct Stylomastoid foramen fossae Subarcuate fossa Jugular fossa canaliculi Inferior tympanic Mastoid Styloid process Petrosquamous suture (note: ossicles in petrous part, but not part of temporal bone)

Tympanic part	Suprameatal spine

Sphenoid

Surfaces	Superior surface: Sella turcica Dorsum sellae Tuberculum sellae Hypophysial fossa Posterior clinoid processes Ethmoidal spine Chiasmatic groove Middle clinoid process Petrosal process Clivus Lateral surface: Carotid groove Sphenoidal lingula Anterior surface: Sphenoidal sinuses

Great wings	foramina Rotundum Ovale Vesalii Spinosum Spine Infratemporal crest Sulcus of auditory tube

Small wings	Superior orbital fissure Anterior clinoid process Optic canal

Pterygoid processes	fossae Pterygoid Scaphoid pterygoid plates Lateral Medial Pterygoid canal Hamulus

Other	Body Sphenoidal conchae

Ethmoid

Plates	Cribriform plate Crista galli Olfactory foramina Perpendicular plate

Surfaces	Lateral surface Orbital lamina Uncinate process Medial surface Supreme nasal concha Superior nasal concha Superior meatus Middle nasal concha Middle meatus

Labyrinth	Ethmoid sinus ethmoidal foramina Posterior Anterior

Foramina of the skull (and canals, fissures, meatus, and hiatus)

Anterior cranial fossa

to Orbit:	ethmoidal foramina anterior posterior

to Nasal cavity:	olfactory foramina (CN-I) foramen cecum

Middle cranial fossa

to Orbit:	optic canal (CN-II) superior orbital fissure (CN-III,IV,V1,VI)

to Pterygopalatine fossa:	foramen rotundum (CN-V2) pterygoid canal

to Infratemporal fossa:	foramen ovale (CN-V3) foramen spinosum/carotid canal

other:	foramen lacerum hiatus for greater petrosal nerve hiatus for lesser petrosal nerve sphenoidal emissary foramen

Posterior cranial fossa

internal auditory meatus/facial canal/stylomastoid foramen (CN-VII,VIII)
jugular foramen (CN-IX,X,XI)
foramen magnum (CN-XI)
hypoglossal canal (CN-XII)
condylar canal
mastoid foramen

Orbit

to Nasal cavity:	nasolacrimal canal

to face:	supraorbital notch foramen infraorbital foramen groove zygomatic foramen -facial -temporal

to Pterygopalatine fossa:	inferior orbital fissure

other:	Inferior orbital fissure Fossa for lacrimal sac

Pterygopalatine fossa

to Nasal cavity:	sphenopalatine foramen

to Oral cavity:	greater palatine canal foramen lesser palatine canals foramina

to Infratemporal fossa:	pterygomaxillary fissure

to Nasopharynx:	palatovaginal canal

to oral cavity:	incisive canals incisive foramen

to nasal cavity:	Foramen vomerinum Meatus vomerinus Fissura vomerina Hiatus vomerinus

Other

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