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Abstract

The significance of asymmetry of the foramen of Vesalius.

C F Lanzieri, P M Duchesneau, S A Rosenbloom, A S Smith and A E Rosenbaum
American Journal of Neuroradiology November 1988, 9 (6) 1201-1204;
C F Lanzieri
Section of Neuroradiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44106.
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P M Duchesneau
Section of Neuroradiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44106.
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S A Rosenbloom
Section of Neuroradiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44106.
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A S Smith
Section of Neuroradiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44106.
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A E Rosenbaum
Section of Neuroradiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44106.
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Abstract

The foramen of Vesalius is a small, variable but consistently symmetrical structure located anteromedial to the foramen ovale and lateral to the foramen rotundum and vidian canal. It transmits an emissary vein through which the cavernous sinus and pterygoid plexus communicate. Fifty high-resolution CT scans of the skull base and two three-dimensional (Cemax) reconstructions were reviewed to determine criteria for defining the normal appearance of the foramen of Vesalius. Three normal types were classified: (1) a well-formed foramen, 1-2 mm in size (n = 32); (2) lack of visualization of the foramen (n = 11); and (3) partial assimilation of the foramen with the foramen ovale (n = 7). The foramen was remarkably symmetric in a large number of cases (n = 48). Asymmetry signified abnormality in four of the six cases. Abnormal causes of asymmetry included invasion by nasopharyngeal melanoma, angiofibroma, carotid cavernous fistula with drainage through the emissary vein, and neurofibromatosis. Thus, for these usually symmetric foramina of Vesalius, asymmetry is more likely the result of a pathologic process than a normal variant.

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American Journal of Neuroradiology
Vol. 9, Issue 6
1 Nov 1988
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The significance of asymmetry of the foramen of Vesalius.
C F Lanzieri, P M Duchesneau, S A Rosenbloom, A S Smith, A E Rosenbaum
American Journal of Neuroradiology Nov 1988, 9 (6) 1201-1204;

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The significance of asymmetry of the foramen of Vesalius.
C F Lanzieri, P M Duchesneau, S A Rosenbloom, A S Smith, A E Rosenbaum
American Journal of Neuroradiology Nov 1988, 9 (6) 1201-1204;
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