Pterygoid Canal — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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HardAnatomy (Head & Neck)Pterygoid CanalMFDS Part 1

During endoscopic skull-base dissection, a nerve is traced anteriorly from the upper anterolateral margin of the foramen lacerum through a canal at the junction of the pterygoid process and body of the sphenoid. The canal opens anteriorly into the medial part of the pterygopalatine fossa. Which nerve is being traced?

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Correct answer: A — Nerve of the pterygoid canal

The nerve of the pterygoid canal (Vidian nerve) traverses the pterygoid canal from the region of the foramen lacerum to the pterygopalatine fossa. It is formed by the union of the greater petrosal nerve, carrying mainly preganglionic parasympathetic fibres from the facial nerve, and the deep petrosal nerve, carrying postganglionic sympathetic fibres from the internal carotid plexus. The maxillary nerve enters the pterygopalatine fossa through the foramen rotundum, not the pterygoid canal. The lesser petrosal nerve travels toward the otic ganglion. The greater and deep petrosal nerves are proximal components that unite to form the named nerve occupying the pterygoid canal.

Reference: Anatomical Step-by-Step Dissection of Complex Skull Base Approaches for Trainees: Surgical Anatomy of the Endoscopic Endonasal and Endoscopic-Assisted Transmaxillary Transpterygoid Approaches, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38274480/