Petroclival Clinoidal Folds and Arachnoidal Membranes of the Anteromedial Incisural Space: Clinical Anatomy for Neuro Critical Care

Lorenzo Pescatori; Samanta Taurone; Antonello Ciccarelli; Mauro Palmieri; Alessandra Serraino; Marco Artico; Francesco Fornai; Yaroslava Longhitano; Christian Zanza; Manfredi Tesauro; Gabriele Savioli; Selenia Miglietta; Pasqualino Ciappetta

doi:10.3390/diagnostics13203203

Petroclival Clinoidal Folds and Arachnoidal Membranes of the Anteromedial Incisural Space: Clinical Anatomy for Neuro Critical Care

Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Oct 13;13(20):3203. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13203203.

Authors

Lorenzo Pescatori¹, Samanta Taurone², Antonello Ciccarelli², Mauro Palmieri³, Alessandra Serraino³, Marco Artico⁴, Francesco Fornai^{5

6}, Yaroslava Longhitano^{7

8}, Christian Zanza^{9

10}, Manfredi Tesauro^{10

11}, Gabriele Savioli¹², Selenia Miglietta¹³, Pasqualino Ciappetta¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, S. Eugenio Hospital of Rome, 00144 Rome, Italy.
² Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135 Rome, Italy.
³ Human Neurosciences Department, A.U.O. "Policlinico Umberto I" Neurosurgery Division, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy.
⁴ Department of Sensory Organs, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
⁵ IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy.
⁶ Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
⁷ Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
⁸ Department of Emergency Medicine, Humanitas University Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy.
⁹ Italian Society of Prehospital Emergency Medicine (SIS 118), 74121 Taranto, Italy.
¹⁰ Post Graduate School of Geriatric Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy.
¹¹ Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy.
¹² Emergency Department, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
¹³ Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
¹⁴ Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy.

Abstract

A systematic and narrative literature review was performed, focusing attention on the anatomy of the area located at the junction of the sphenoid and the basal portion of the temporal bone (petrous bone, petrous apex, upper petro-clival region) encircled by the free edge of the tentorium, the insertion of the tentorium itself to the petrous apex and the anterior and posterior clinoid processes that give rise to three distinct dural folds or ligaments: the anterior petroclinoid ligament, the posterior petroclinoid ligament and the interclinoid ligament. These dural folds constitute the posterior portion of the roof of the cavernous sinus denominated "the oculomotor triangle". The main purpose of this review study was to describe this anatomical region, particularly in the light of the relationships between the anterior margin of the free edge of the tentorium and the above-mentioned components of the sphenoid and petrous bone.

Keywords: anterior petroclinoid ligament; clinoid processes; emergency medicine; interclinoid ligament; neuroanesthesia; neuroradiology; oculomotor triangle; petroclival folds; posterior petroclinoid ligament.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.