What is a petrous apex?

What is a petrous apex?

The petrous apex is located in the temporal bone — one of the bones of the skull that houses the structures of the ear. The petrous apex is a difficult area for surgeons to get to; it is essentially just off the midline of the skull base.

Where is the apex of the skull?

temporal bone
The petrous apex of the temporal bone is located anteromedial to the inner ear within the angle created by the greater wing of the sphenoid bone anteriorly and the occipital bone posteriorly. The anterior margin of the petrous apex forms the medial posterior wall of the middle cranial fossa.

What is a petrous apex Cephalocele?

Petrous apex cephaloceles (PAC) are rare lesions that are characterized by cystic appearance, on radiological imaging, and extension of the posterolateral aspect of Meckel’s cave into the superomedial portion of the petrous apex [1,3].

What is the petrous bone?

The petrous portion is among the most basal elements of the skull and forms part of the endocranium. Petrous comes from the Latin word petrosus, meaning “stone-like, hard”. The petrous bone is important for studies of ancient DNA from skeletal remains, as it tends to contain extremely well-preserved DNA.

What causes petrous apex effusion?

What Causes a Petrous Apex Lesion? The exact cause of some petrous apex lesions is not clear. It is believed that cholesterol granulomas may develop as the result of air infiltrating the bone marrow and creating pockets that then fill with blood and trigger the formation of a cyst.

What is the petrous?

: of, relating to, or constituting the exceptionally hard and dense portion of the human temporal bone that contains the internal auditory organs.

What is meant by petrous part of temporal bone?

petrous part of temporal bone the part of the temporal bone located at the base of the cranium, containing the inner ear.

What is Cephalocele?

A cephalocele is defined as a herniation of cranial contents through a defect in the skull. Cephaloceles are classified according to their contents and location.

What does petrous part of temporal bone mean?

Why is Petrous used to describe the temporal bone?

Why is this term used to describe the petrous part of the temporal bone? It houses sensory structures of the inner ear that provide information about hearing and balance. What structures are found deep within the petrous part of the temporal bone?

Can an ear infection cause a cyst?

Repeated infections and/or and a tear or retraction of the eardrum can cause the skin to toughen and form an expanding sac. Cholesteatomas often devolop as cysts or pouches that shed layers of old skin, which build up inside the middle ear.

What causes low signal intensity in the petrous apex?

In pneumatized or sclerotic apices, the anterior portion may normally demonstrate low signal intensity due to the absence of fatty marrow. Normal petrous apex canals.

Are there any CT scans of the petrous apex?

CT scans confirmed nonexpansile air-cell opacification. Conclusion: Asymmetric fatty marrow in the petrous apex and petrous air-cell effusions have characteristic MR and CT features that facilitate their correct diagnosis. Effusions with intermediate or high T1 signal are most frequently confused with cholesterol granulomas.

How to confirm asymmetric fatty bone marrow of the petrous apex?

Confirmation is made by observing the complete loss of signal with fat-saturation sequences. Asymmetric fatty infiltration of the apex may be observed as a conspicuous asymmetric high signal on contrast-enhanced images and could be mistaken for an enhancing pathologic lesion.

Which is a differential diagnosis of petrous apex effusion?

Other lesions with a bright T1 signal such as a cholesterol granuloma should be considered. Another differential diagnosis is a petrous apex effusion, but this tends to have intermediate or high T1 signal 2. 1.