The foramen rotundum is a short round canal in the greater wing of the sphenoid, just below the medial end of the superior orbital fissure. It carries the maxillary nerve (V2) from the middle cranial fossa forward into the pterygopalatine fossa.
| Articulations | |
|---|---|
| Landmarks | |
| Ossification | Forms in the greater wing of the sphenoid as the bone ossifies around the maxillary nerve during fetal life. |
The foramen rotundum is a pathway for perineural spread of head and neck cancers along the maxillary nerve, so enlargement on CT or MRI is an important sign. It is also a landmark for approaches to the maxillary nerve in trigeminal neuralgia treatment.
Skin and head and neck cancers can track along the maxillary nerve through the foramen rotundum into the cavernous sinus, seen as foraminal widening on MRI or CT.
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