Base of the skull

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

The base of the skull (lat. basis cranii) is the most inferior area of the skull.

Structures found at the base of the skull are for example:

• Foramen magnum
• Foramen ovale (skull)

• Ethmoid bone
• Sphenoid bone
• Occipital bone
• Frontal bone
• Parietal bone
• Temporal bone
  • Petrous portion of the temporal bone

• Occipital sinus
• Superior sagittal sinus
• Superior petrosal sinus

• Foramen cecum (frontal bone)
• Optic foramen
• Foramen lacerum
• Foramen rotundum
• Jugular foramen
• Internal auditory meatus
• Mastoid foramen
• Sphenoidal emissary foramen
• Foramen spinosum

• Frontoethmoidal suture
• Sphenofrontal suture
• Sphenopetrosal suture
• Sphenoethmoidal suture
• Petrosquamous suture
• Sphenosquamosal suture

• Sphenoidal lingula
• Subarcuate fossa
• Dorsum sellae
• Jugular process
• Petro-occipital fissure
• Condylar canal
• Jugular tubercle
• Tuberculum sellae
• Carotid groove
• Fossa hypophyseos
• Posterior clinoid processes
• Sigmoid sulcus
• Internal occipital protuberance
• Internal occipital crest
• Ethmoidal spine
• Vestibular aqueduct
• Chiasmatic groove
• Middle clinoid process
• Groove for sigmoid sinus
• Trigeminal ganglion
• Middle cranial fossa
• Anterior cranial fossa
• Middle meningeal artery
• Cribriform plate
• Posterior cranial fossa
• Nasociliary nerve
• Hypoglossal canal

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