Head and Neck: Laboratory Identifications by Region - Namjoshi et. al. (2006)

Exterior Skull

• styloid process (3)
• mandibular foramen (1)
• posterior nasal spine (1)
• sphenoid (1)

Face and Scalp

• parotid duct (5)
  • transverse facial artery (1); superior to parotid duct, coursing anteromedially
  • masseter (1); deep to duct, duct is on lateral side of masseter
• facial nerve CN VII (6)
  • temporal branch
    • zygomatic arch; cross zyg. arch
      • inferior and anterior to auriculotemporal nerve
      • inferior and anterior to superficial temporal artery (6)
  • zygomatic branch (1);
    • zygomatic bone
    • zygomaticus major
• buccinator (1)
  • buccal branch facial nerve; motor to buccinator
    • crosses masseter superficially
  • buccal nerve (4); sensory to mucosa cheek
    • emerges deep to masseter
    • trigeminal (mandibular)
• facial artery (5)
  • external carotid (3); branch of
  • platysma; deep to
  • masseter; anterior to
  • submandibular gland; deep to??
  • mandible; superficial to
  • stylohyoid (4); deep to
  • branches
    • inferior labial artery (1)
    • superior labial artery
    • angular artery
• orbit
  • infraorbital foramen
    • infraorbital nerve (6)
    • infraorbital artery (6)
  • supraorbital notch
    • supraorbital nerve (1)
  • orbicularis orbit (1)
• maxillary artery (6)
• branches of mandibular nerve
  • buccal nerve (4)
  • mental nerve (3)
• scalp (not likely to see these here...)
  • occiptal artery (4); lateral to lamboid suture
  • superficial temporal artery (6); associated with coronal suture

Interior of Skull, Meninges, and Dural Sinuses

• falx cerebri (3)
  • crista galli
    • superior sagittal sinus
  • cerebral hemispheres
  • superior sagittal sinus
• tentorium cerebelli (3)
  • clinoid processes
  • cerebellum/cerebral hemisphere
  • tentorial notch; spinal cord
  • confluence of sinuses (1); near posterior most part of tentorium in midline
  • sigmoid sinus (2); deep to tentorium cerebelli
    • transverse sinus; drains from
    • jugular foramen; drains to
    • internal jugular vein;

Cranial Fossae

• MCF
  • foramen spinosum
    • middle meningeal artery; enters MCF through foramen deep to dura
  • sella turcica (1); medial border cavernous sinus
    • internal carotid (1); carotid groove just lateral to sella turcica
    • sphenoid sinus (1RAD); just inferior to sella turcica
  • optic canal
    • optic nerve (2RAD); exits MCF through optic canal to orbit
  • superior orbital fissure
    • oculomotor nerve (1); exits MCF through SOF to sup. palp, med, inf, sup rectus, inf. oblique
    • trochlear nerve (2); exits MCF through SOF to sup oblique
    • abducens nerve (6); exits MCF through SOF to lateral rectus
• PCF
  • internal auditory meatus
    • facial nerve (VII) (6); exits PCF through int. aud meatus to temporal bone
  • jugular foramen
    • glossopharyngeal nerve (8); exits PCF through jug. for. to base of skull
    • vagus nerve (5); exits PCF through jug. for. to base of skull
      • posterior to CN IX
      • anterior to CN XI
      • larger than both IX and XI
    • spinal accessory nerve CN XI (2); exits PCF through jug. for to base of skull
  • hypoglossal canal (1) * hypoglossal nerve (7); exits PCF through canal to base of skull
  • foramen magnum
    • vertebral artery (7)

Cavernous Sinus

• internal carotid (1)
• sella turcica (1)
• abducens nerve
• oculomotor nerve
• trochlear nerve
• ophthalmic nerve
• maxillary nerve

Cranial Nerves

• glossopharyngeal nerve/CN IX (8)
• hypoglossal nerve (XII) (7)
• abducens nerve (VI) (6)
• facial nerve (VII) (6)
• vagus nerve (X) (5)
• spinal accessory (XI) (2)
• oculomotoer (III) (1)
• trigeminal (V) (1)

Orbit/Eyeball

• anterior view
  • orbicularis orbi (1)
  • medial palpebral ligament (1)
    • lacrimal sac; posterior to
    • nasolacrimal duct (1)
  • supraorbital notch
    • supraorbital nerve (1)
  • infraorbital foramen
    • infraorbital nerve/artery (6)
• superior view (view from inside)
  • levator palpebrae superioris (3)
    • frontal nerve (6); superior and slightly lateral to
      • annulus tendineus (1); inferior to frontal nerve
    • supraorbital nerve; branches anteriorly from frontal superficial to lev. palp and lateral to obliquus superior, infraorbital nerve, trochlea
    • obliquus superior (1); lateral to obliquus superior
      • ethmoidal air cells
    • superior rectus; deep and lateral to
  • nasocilliary nerve (1)
• inferior oblique (4); ??? anyone found the best view of this one ???

Cervical Fascia/Posterior Triangle

• deep surface of platysma
  • supraclavicular nerve (1)
  • transverse cervical nerve
  • external jugular vein
• CN XI
  • deep cervical fascia; deep to
  • prevertebral fascia; superficial to
  • sternocleidomastoid; posterior to
  • trapezius; on deep surface
  • supraclavicular n.; posterior to

• dorsal scapular nerve (3)
• long thoracic nerve (3)
• superior cervical trunk ganglion (2)
• vertebral ganglion (1)

Anterior Triangle, Thyroid, Root of Neck, Larynx

• muscular triangle
  • sternohyoid (1)
  • omohyoid (1); superior belly lateral to sternohyoid
  • thyrohyoid (4); deep to superior portion of sternohyoid

• carotid triangle
  • spinal accessory (XI) (2); exits jugular foramen on deep surface of sternocleidomastoid
  • tip of greater horn of hyoid
    • posterior belly digastric (1); superior to
      • hypoglossal nerve/ CN XII (7); medial to
      • lingual artery (2); arises from external carotid near tip, passes posterior to hypoglossal n.
      • ansa cervicalis (1); C1, C2, C3 roots traveling with hypoglossal and looping around carotid sheath
  • thyrohyoid membrane (1)
    • internal laryngeal nerve (4); pierces membrane
    • superior laryngeal artery (2); pierces membrane
      • superior thyroid artery (7); gives rise to superior laryngeal artery
• external carotid artery (3)
  • superior thyroid artery (7);
  • ascending pharyngeal artery (7); first branch, closest to bifurcation
  • lingual artery (2);
  • facial artery (5);
  • occipital artery (4);
• cricothyroid membrane (3);
• vagus nerve (5); within carotid sheath

• submandibular triangle
  • digastric (1)
    • anterior belly; nerve to mylohyoid
    • posterior belly; facial nerve CN VII
  • stylohyoid (4); CN VII
  • mylohyoid muscle (1)
    • nerve to mylohyoid (4); from lingual nerve
    • hypoglossal nerve CN XII; deep to
  • submandibular gland
    • facial artery; passes deep to

• anterior scalene (2)
  • subclavian; begins course medial to anterior scalene, making it's way posterior to muscle and posterior to 1st rib
    • vertebral artery (7); branch subclavian
    • thyrocervical trunk (4)
      • inferior thyroid A. (2);
      • suprascapular A.
      • transverse cervical A.
      • ascending cervical A. (1)
  • phrenic nerve (8);
    • transeverse cervical artery; superficial to phrenic nerve
    • suprascapular artery; superficial to phrenic nerve

• anterior cricothyroid muscle (1)
• geniohyoid (1)
• supraclavicular nerve (1)

Larynx

• aryepiglottic fold (1)
• thyrohyoid membrane (1)
  • internal laryngeal nerve (4); pierces membrane
  • superior laryngeal artery (2); pierces membrane
    • superior thyroid artery (7); gives rise to superior laryngeal artery
• true vocal cord
• inferior laryngeal nerve (2)
• cricoid cartilage (1)
• falso vocal cord (1)
• posterior cricoarytenoid
• abducts vocal folds (1)

Parotid Region, Temporal Fossa, Infratemporal Fossa

• scalp
  • auriculotemporal nerve (2); superficial to temporal fascia
  • superficial temporal artery (6); superficial to temporal fascia
• masseter (1)
  • parotid duct (5)
    • external carotid artery (3)
• temporalis (1)
  • deep temporal artery (4); enters on deep surface of
• mandible
  • lateral pterygoid muscle (1); deep to mandible
  • medial pterygoid muscle
    • inferior alveolar nerve (6); superficial to medial pterygoid
• foramen ovale
  • lingual nerve (6); anterior to inf. alveolar nerve
  • inferior alveolar nerve
• mandibular nerve (3); from trigem...
  • auriculotemporal nerve
  • nerves to temporalis
  • buccal nerve
  • inferior alveolar nerve
    • chorda tympani (2)
    • nerve to mylohyoid (4)
    • mental nerve
  • lingual nerve (6)
  • submandibular ganglion (1)
• maxillary artery (6)
  • posterior superior alveolar nerve/artery (2); near entrance of infratemporal fossa
• articular disc (3)
• styloid process (3)
• mandibular foramen (1)
• mandibular nerve (3); from trigem...
• lateral pterygoid muscle (1)

Craniovertebral Joints

• articular disc (3)
• styloid process (3)

Prevertebral Region

• something

Pharynx, Nose, Nasal Cavity

• stylopharyngeus (1)
  • glossopharyngeal nerve CN IX; between internal and external carotids towards stylopharyn.
  • greater horn of hyoid
  • superior and middle constrictor; passes between
  • epiglottis; anterior to
• esophagus (1)
  • inferior constrictor muscle
  • recurrent laryngeal (2); anterior and on either side (just lateral to) esophagus
    • thyroid; anterior to recurrent laryngeal n.
    • common carotid (RAD); lateral to recurrnent laryngeal n. *epiglottis
  • medianglossoepiglottic fold (7)
  • vellecula (1)
  • pyriform recess (1)
• middle nasal concha/ turbinate (2)
  • ethmoid bulla (3); posterior to the curvature of the semilunar hiatus
    • opening of 3 things: frontal sinus, max. sinus, ant. ethmoidal cells
• inferior nasal concha (4)
  • opening of nasolacrimal duct
• opening to eustachian tube (help???)
  • salpingopharyngeal fold (8)
  • torus tubarius (6)
  • tensor veli palatini (6)
    • levator veli palatini; posterior to tensor veli palatini
    • medial pterygoid
    • medial pterygoid plate
    • pterygoid hamulus
  • levator veli palatini (5);
    • soft palate (uvula) (1)
    • choanae
    • superior constrictor
    • vellecula
• tongue
  • palatoglossal arch/muscle (2); (these are pretty bad....anyone have better ideas?)
    • last molars; posterior to
    • pterygomandibular raphe; posterior to
    • extending from posterior tongue to supratonsilar fossa (or where the tonsil would be...)
    • pterygoid hamulus
  • stylohyoid ligament; posterior to tongue
    • epiglottis; anterior to stylohyoid ligament
  • glossopharyngeal nerve

• superior cervical sympathetic trunk ganglion (2)
• inferior meatus (3)
• superior laryngeal nerve (difficult to see here ??)

• submental artery (1)
• submandibular duct (5)
• lingual artery (2)
• upper second molar (1)

Pterygopalatine Fossa

• medial pterygoid (3)
• vidian nerve (2)
• nerve of pterygoid canal (1)
• pterygoid canal (1)
• maxillary artery (6)
• posterior superior alveolar artery (2)
• maxillary nerve (4)
• great superficial petrosal nerve
• greater palatine nerve (6)
• descending palatine nerve and vessels (1)
• greater palatine artery (6)

Temporal Bone and Ear

• lingual nerve (6)
• tragus of ear
• auriculotemporal nerve (2)
• chorda tympani (2)
• antritragus (1)
• lateral semicircular canal (1)
• mastoid air cells (1)

Top of page

Comments and Suggestions