1. The facial nerve leaves the posterior cranial fossa to enter
the facial canal by way of the internal
auditory meatus (black wire). The facial canal is within the
petrous part of the temporal bone.
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1b. Internal Auditory Meatus
The facial nerve leaves the posterior cranial fossa to enter the
facial canal by way of the internalauditory meatus (black
wire).
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2. iatus of the !anal and "roove for the "reater #uperficial
$etrosal %erve
The &reater superficial petrosal nerve leaves the facial
canal to enter the middle cranial fossa by wayof the hiatus of the
canal for the &reater superficial petrosal nerve (black
wire).
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'. $tery&oid !anal at Anterior ip of the acerate oramen
The &reater superficial petrosal nerve is *oined by the deep
petrosal nerve to form the nerve of theptery&oid canal (black
and red wire). This nerve leaves the middle cranial fossa to enter
theptery&opalatine fossa by way of the ptery&oid canal. The
posterior openin& of the ptery&oid canal is
at the anterior lip of the lacerate foramen. The &reater
superficial nerve and the deep petrosal nervetravel within the
cavernous sinus.
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+. $tery&opalatine ossa #een Throu&h the
$tery&oma,illary issure
The anterior openin& of the ptery&oid canal is into the
ptery&opalatine fossa (black wire). The
ptery&opalatine fossa is located medial to the
ptery&oma,illary fissure and contains theptery&opalatine
&an&lion.
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-. ,ternal Auditory Meatus
The chorda tympani nerve leaves the facial canal and crosses the
middle ear (black wire). It then leavesthe middle ear to arrive in
the infratemporal fossa by way of the petrotympanic fissure. This
view shows
the path of the chorda tympani within the middle ear (seen
throu&h e,ternal auditory meatus) and thenenterin& the
infratemporal fossa throu&h the petrotympanic fissure.
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/. $etrotympanic fissure
The chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve enters the
infratemporal fossa by way of the petrotympanic
fissure (black wire). %otice the close relationship to the
mandibular fossa. The chorda tympanic isvulnerable to in*ury at
this loccation.
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0. #tylomastoid oramen
The facial nerve leaves the facial canal to enter the parotid
re&ion by way of the stylomastoid foramen(black wire).
