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Structure

The mastoid foramen is a hole in the posterior border of the temporal bone of the skull.¹

The opening of the mastoid foramen is an average of 18 mm from the asterion,² and around 34 mm from the external auditory meatus.³ It is typically very narrow.⁴⁵ This may be around 2 mm.⁶

Variation

The position and size of this foramen are very variable.⁷⁸ It is not always present.⁹¹⁰ Sometimes, it is duplicated on one side or both sides.¹¹ Sometimes, it is situated in the occipital bone, or in the suture between the temporal bone and the occipital bone.

Function

The mastoid foramen transmits:

• an emissary vein between the sigmoid sinus and the suboccipital venous plexus or the posterior auricular vein.¹²¹³
• a small branch of the occipital artery, the posterior meningeal artery, to the dura mater.¹⁴

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 141 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

• "Anatomy diagram: 34257.000-1". Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator. Elsevier. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22.
• "Anatomy diagram: 34257.000-2". Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator. Elsevier. Archived from the original on 2013-06-22.
• Akram Abood Jaffar: Personal website, Anatomical variations

References

1. Wang, Cindy; Lockwood, Joseph; Iwanaga, Joe; Dumont, Aaron S.; Bui, C. J.; Tubbs, R. Shane (June 2021). "Comprehensive review of the mastoid foramen". Neurosurgical Review. 44 (3): 1255–1258. doi:10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9. ISSN 0344-5607. PMID 32507931. S2CID 219529416. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9 ↩

2. Hampl, Martin; Kachlik, David; Kikalova, Katerina; Riemer, Roxane; Halaj, Matej; Novak, Vlastimil; Stejskal, Premysl; Vaverka, Miroslav; Hrabalek, Lumir; Krahulik, David; Nanka, Ondrej (2018-07-01). "Mastoid foramen, mastoid emissary vein and clinical implications in neurosurgery". Acta Neurochirurgica. 160 (7): 1473–1482. doi:10.1007/s00701-018-3564-2. ISSN 0942-0940. PMID 29779186. S2CID 29158669. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00701-018-3564-2 ↩

3. Kim, Won Sik; Kim, Soo Il; Kim, Sun; Zheng, Guo Dong; Yang, Eun Jin; Han, Seung Ro (2000-03-31). "Mastoid Foramen and Superficial Mastoid Canals of Korean Men". Korean Journal of Physical Anthropology. 13 (1): 11–19. doi:10.11637/kjpa.2000.13.1.11. https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727 ↩

4. Wang, Cindy; Lockwood, Joseph; Iwanaga, Joe; Dumont, Aaron S.; Bui, C. J.; Tubbs, R. Shane (June 2021). "Comprehensive review of the mastoid foramen". Neurosurgical Review. 44 (3): 1255–1258. doi:10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9. ISSN 0344-5607. PMID 32507931. S2CID 219529416. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9 ↩

5. Kim, Won Sik; Kim, Soo Il; Kim, Sun; Zheng, Guo Dong; Yang, Eun Jin; Han, Seung Ro (2000-03-31). "Mastoid Foramen and Superficial Mastoid Canals of Korean Men". Korean Journal of Physical Anthropology. 13 (1): 11–19. doi:10.11637/kjpa.2000.13.1.11. https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727 ↩

6. Kim, Won Sik; Kim, Soo Il; Kim, Sun; Zheng, Guo Dong; Yang, Eun Jin; Han, Seung Ro (2000-03-31). "Mastoid Foramen and Superficial Mastoid Canals of Korean Men". Korean Journal of Physical Anthropology. 13 (1): 11–19. doi:10.11637/kjpa.2000.13.1.11. https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727 ↩

7. Wang, Cindy; Lockwood, Joseph; Iwanaga, Joe; Dumont, Aaron S.; Bui, C. J.; Tubbs, R. Shane (June 2021). "Comprehensive review of the mastoid foramen". Neurosurgical Review. 44 (3): 1255–1258. doi:10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9. ISSN 0344-5607. PMID 32507931. S2CID 219529416. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9 ↩

8. Kim, Won Sik; Kim, Soo Il; Kim, Sun; Zheng, Guo Dong; Yang, Eun Jin; Han, Seung Ro (2000-03-31). "Mastoid Foramen and Superficial Mastoid Canals of Korean Men". Korean Journal of Physical Anthropology. 13 (1): 11–19. doi:10.11637/kjpa.2000.13.1.11. https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727 ↩

9. Wang, Cindy; Lockwood, Joseph; Iwanaga, Joe; Dumont, Aaron S.; Bui, C. J.; Tubbs, R. Shane (June 2021). "Comprehensive review of the mastoid foramen". Neurosurgical Review. 44 (3): 1255–1258. doi:10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9. ISSN 0344-5607. PMID 32507931. S2CID 219529416. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9 ↩

10. Kim, Won Sik; Kim, Soo Il; Kim, Sun; Zheng, Guo Dong; Yang, Eun Jin; Han, Seung Ro (2000-03-31). "Mastoid Foramen and Superficial Mastoid Canals of Korean Men". Korean Journal of Physical Anthropology. 13 (1): 11–19. doi:10.11637/kjpa.2000.13.1.11. https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727 ↩

11. Wang, Cindy; Lockwood, Joseph; Iwanaga, Joe; Dumont, Aaron S.; Bui, C. J.; Tubbs, R. Shane (June 2021). "Comprehensive review of the mastoid foramen". Neurosurgical Review. 44 (3): 1255–1258. doi:10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9. ISSN 0344-5607. PMID 32507931. S2CID 219529416. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9 ↩

12. Wang, Cindy; Lockwood, Joseph; Iwanaga, Joe; Dumont, Aaron S.; Bui, C. J.; Tubbs, R. Shane (June 2021). "Comprehensive review of the mastoid foramen". Neurosurgical Review. 44 (3): 1255–1258. doi:10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9. ISSN 0344-5607. PMID 32507931. S2CID 219529416. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9 ↩

13. Hampl, Martin; Kachlik, David; Kikalova, Katerina; Riemer, Roxane; Halaj, Matej; Novak, Vlastimil; Stejskal, Premysl; Vaverka, Miroslav; Hrabalek, Lumir; Krahulik, David; Nanka, Ondrej (2018-07-01). "Mastoid foramen, mastoid emissary vein and clinical implications in neurosurgery". Acta Neurochirurgica. 160 (7): 1473–1482. doi:10.1007/s00701-018-3564-2. ISSN 0942-0940. PMID 29779186. S2CID 29158669. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00701-018-3564-2 ↩

14. Hampl, Martin; Kachlik, David; Kikalova, Katerina; Riemer, Roxane; Halaj, Matej; Novak, Vlastimil; Stejskal, Premysl; Vaverka, Miroslav; Hrabalek, Lumir; Krahulik, David; Nanka, Ondrej (2018-07-01). "Mastoid foramen, mastoid emissary vein and clinical implications in neurosurgery". Acta Neurochirurgica. 160 (7): 1473–1482. doi:10.1007/s00701-018-3564-2. ISSN 0942-0940. PMID 29779186. S2CID 29158669. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00701-018-3564-2 ↩