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Mastoid foramen
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<h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <p>The mastoid foramen is a hole in the posterior border of the <a href="/facts/Temporal_bone/H6dozthp">temporal bone</a> of the <a href="/facts/Skull/A9Wp63Np">skull</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> </p><p>The opening of the mastoid foramen is an average of 18 mm from the <a href="/facts/Asterion_(anatomy)/bKH1p81v">asterion</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> and around 34 mm from the <a href="/facts/External_Auditory_Meatus/1dvynGqs">external auditory meatus</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> It is typically very narrow.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> This may be around 2 mm.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <h3>Variation</h3> <p>The position and size of this foramen are very variable.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> It is not always present.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> Sometimes, it is duplicated on one side or both sides.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> Sometimes, it is situated in the <a href="/facts/Occipital_bone/zsgqpNIa">occipital bone</a>, or in the <a href="/facts/Cranial_sutures/CRoosLgu">suture</a> between the temporal bone and the occipital bone. </p> <h2 id="function">Function</h2> <p>The mastoid foramen transmits: </p> <ul><li>an <a href="/facts/Emissary_veins/feHTKDLY">emissary vein</a> between the <a href="/facts/Sigmoid_sinus/yo28ydzt">sigmoid sinus</a> and the <a href="/facts/Suboccipital_venous_plexus/Kszkwkxg">suboccipital venous plexus</a> or the <a href="/facts/Posterior_auricular_vein/23CASpjD">posterior auricular vein</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a></li> <li>a small branch of the <a href="/facts/Occipital_artery/lcCcRUbd">occipital artery</a>, the <a href="/facts/Posterior_meningeal_artery/1VtUouUr">posterior meningeal artery</a>, to the <a href="/facts/Dura_mater/vcb6bz93">dura mater</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a></li></ul> <p> <i>This article incorporates text in the <a href="/facts/Public_domain/YWKMDKw4">public domain</a> from <a href="https://archive.org/stream/anatomyofhumanbo1918gray#page/141/mode/2up">page 141</a> of the 20th edition of</i> <a href="/facts/Gray%2527s_Anatomy/dLMyjr2p">Gray's Anatomy</a> <i>(1918)</i> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120722052131/http://www.tk.de/rochelexikon/pics/s34257.000-1.html">"Anatomy diagram: 34257.000-1"</a>. <i>Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator</i>. Elsevier. Archived from <a href="http://www.tk.de/rochelexikon/pics/s34257.000-1.html">the original</a> on 2012-07-22.</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130622050647/http://www.tk.de/rochelexikon/pics/s34257.000-2.html">"Anatomy diagram: 34257.000-2"</a>. <i>Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator</i>. Elsevier. Archived from <a href="http://www.tk.de/rochelexikon/pics/s34257.000-2.html">the original</a> on 2013-06-22.</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081228212527/http://www.geocities.com/akramjfr/emsry_mastoid.html">Akram Abood Jaffar: Personal website, Anatomical variations</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>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. <a href="https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>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. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00701-018-3564-2" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00701-018-3564-2</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>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. <a href="https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727" target="_blank">https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>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. <a href="https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>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. <a href="https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727" target="_blank">https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>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. <a href="https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727" target="_blank">https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>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. <a href="https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>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. <a href="https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727" target="_blank">https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>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. <a href="https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>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. <a href="https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727" target="_blank">https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1038727</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>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. <a href="https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>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. <a href="https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10143-020-01329-9</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>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. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00701-018-3564-2" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00701-018-3564-2</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>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. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00701-018-3564-2" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00701-018-3564-2</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>