Neurosurgery notes/Anatomy/CSF anatomy/4th ventricle/Foramen of Luschka

Foramen of Luschka

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4th ventricle

General

  • Aka lateral apertures
  • Are paired apertures in the lateral recesses of the fourth ventricle

Location

  • Beneath the cerebellar peduncles
  • Projects into the cerebellopontine angle at the lateral border of the pontomedullary sulcus

Borders

  • Inferiorly
    • Junction between brainstem and CN9/CN10
  • Anterior superiorly
    • Junction of the brain stem and CN7/8
  • Anterior inferiorly
    • Junction of brain stem and CN 11/12
  • Superiorly
    • Cerebellar flocculus
  • The orientation, skin incision (solid line), and craniotomy (interrupted line) are shown in the insert.
  • The foramen of Luschka opens into the cerebellopontine angle behind the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves.
  • The choroid plexus protrudes from the foramen of Luschka, slightly below and behind the facial and vestibulocochlear nerves, and behind to the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves.
  • The flocculus protrudes into the cerebellopontine angle above the foramen of Luschka.
  • The accessory nerve arises below the vagus nerve.
  • The hypoglossal rootlets arise ventral to the olive.
  • The trigeminal nerve crosses in the upper part of the exposure.
 
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Contents

  • Portions of the choroid plexus called Bochdalek’s flower basket protrude through the foramen and end up posterior to CN9/10

Images

Fig. 1
Foramina of Luschka (arrows)
Neurosurgical Atlas on Twitter: "Congrats to all those who correctly guessed the foramen of luschka! The foramen is located just posterior to the root of the glossopharyngeal nerve and is the lateral
 
  • Posteroinferior view of the opened fourth ventricle
  • The metal pin is entering and exiting the left foramen of Luschka.
  • Obex (lower arrow)
  • Choroid plexus of the inferior medullary velum (upper arrow)
Fig. 3
  • Posterior cadaveric dissection with the lateral recess and foramen of Luschka opened revealing the choroid plexus as it exits into the CP angle.
  • The facial and vestibulocochlear nerves are seen exiting laterally into the internal acoustic meatus
Fig. 5
  • Ventral cadaveric dissection with forceps placed from within the fourth ventricle and with the tips (lower arrow) entering the right foramen of Luschka.
  • The upper arrow points to the facial/vestibulocochlear complex leaving laterally through the internal acoustic meatus
Fig. 4

3D Images

A close-up of a human body AI-generated content may be incorrect.
 
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Posterior view, ærebellum remwed Lateral reæss of 4th Jugular Tube xle Atlanta o«iptal condy*e of luschka Sup cere pedunde Sup petmsal sinu Middle c cw/8 Inf cerebellar pedunde CN12 ano CNII Venebral artery
 
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Brainstem, petrosal surface, and cerebellopontine fissure

  • The cerebellopontine fissure, which might also be referred to as the cerebellopontine angle, is a V-shaped fissure formed where the cerebellum wraps around the pons and middle cerebellar peduncle.
  • The superior and inferior limbs meet laterally at the apex located at the anterior end of the petrosal fissure that divides the petrosal surface into superior and inferior parts.
  • Cranial nerves V through XI arise within the margins of the cerebellopontine fissure.
  • The flocculus and choroid plexus extend laterally from the foramen of Magendie above the lower limb of the fissure.
  • The basilar sulcus is a shallow longitudinal groove on the anterior surface of the pons, which accommodates the basilar artery.
Cer. Port. F". Sup. Lip? pet. Inf.
Oblique view. The petrosal surfaces of the cerebellum face forward toward the petrous bone and is the surface that is retracted to expose the cerebellopontine angle.
  • The petrosal fissure extends laterally from the apex of the cerebellopontine fissure.
  • CN6 arises in the medial part of the pontomedullary sulcus rostral to the medullary pyramids.
  • CN7/8 arise just rostral to the foramen of Luschka near the flocculus at the lateral end of the pontomedullary sulcus.
  • CN12 arise anterior to CN 9, 10, 11 and olive
  • CN 9, 10, 11 arises posterior to the olives.
  • Choroid plexus protrudes from the foramen of Luschka behind the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves.
 
IX or C XI
Enlarged view.
  • CN 7, 8 join the brainstem 2 or 3 mm rostral to the CN 9 on a line drawn dorsal to the olive along the origin of the rootlets of the CN9, 10, 11 rootlets.
  • The rhomboid lip, a thin neural membrane in the ventral margin of the lateral recess, extends laterally behind the CN 9, 10, 11 with the choroid plexus.
CN vil Floc MidV. Ped. old Li
Enlarged view of another brainstem.
  • The cerebellopontine angle is the area situated between the superior and inferior limbs of the cerebellopontine fissure.
    • Superior limb
      • Trigeminal nerve near
    • Mid portion
      • The facial and vestibulocochlear nerves arise
    • Inferior limb
      • The glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves arise near the inferior limb, dorsal to the olive, and anterior to the choroid plexus protruding from the foramen of Luschka.
        • CN12 rootlets arise in front of the olive and the cranial rootlets of the accessory nerve.
' ιιι ντι CNX . Ρόη.Έί
Enlarged view of another cerebellopontine fissure.