Knowledge of the intracranial dural venous sinuses and their variations is important in the diagnosis and management of many cranial pathologies. We report a unique duplication of the right-sided superior petrosal sinus identified during routine dissection of the skull base.. Lateral to this sinus, a separate and more curvilinear superior petrosal sinus left the normally positioned superior petrosal sinus and traveled posteriorly near the foramen spinosum and then turned medially to drain into the normally positioned superior petrosal sinus. Anteriorly, the two sinuses joined together and drained into the cavernous sinus. Posteriorly, the laterally positioned sinus drained into the normally positioned sinus which then traveled in normal fashion along the petrous ridge to end in the transverse sinus. To our knowledge, such a duplication has not been previously reported in the extant medical literature.

Variations of the ovarian veins can impact imaging diagnosis, surgical procedures of the region, and can be related to clinical findings such as compression of the ureter. Therefore, a good working knowledge of such variants is important to the clinician who interprets imaging of the posterior abdominopelvic region of women and surgeons who operate in this region. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of duplicated ovarian veins and provide a case illustration.

Variations of the skull base can affect surgical approaches and must be considered when viewing and interpreting radiological imaging. Here, we report a unique collection of bony anatomical variations found on a single adult skull. Three bony excrescences from the occipital bone were identified in the paracondylar region. The smallest of these processes was 7 mm long and was just medial to the mastoid process of the temporal bone and posterior to the styloid process. One bony process was attached to the occipital condyle and was 12 mm in length. The longest of these processes was 17 mm long and arose from the jugular process of the occipital bone. Paracondylar processes can be symptomatic. Knowledge of the bony variations at the skull base is important to those who operate in this region or review and interpret radiological imaging.

The tensor tympani muscle is structurally important in the middle ear, specifically through its involvement in the impedance of sound in response to intense auditory and non-auditory stimuli. Despite numerous studies, its true function has been debated for many years; questions still remain about its role in auditory and non-auditory reflexes and in sound damping. Some studies suggest that the tensor tympani muscle contracts as a result of non-auditory stimulation such as facial or head movements; others suggest that it contracts due to input from the cochlear nucleus, therefore by way of auditory stimulation. Whatever the cause, contraction of the tensor tympani muscle results in low frequency mixed hearing loss, either to protect the inner ear from loud sounds or to desensitize the ear to self-generated sounds. A review of these studies indicated that the tensor tympani muscle has a wide range of functions, yet the mechanisms of some of them have not been clearly demonstrated. One major question is whether the tensor tympani muscle contributes to sound damping; and if it does, what specific role it serves. The primary purpose of this review article is to explore the functions of the tensor tympani muscle in light of recent research advances.

Tibialis anterior (TA) muscle originates from the lateral surface of tibia and its tendon attaches to the medial cuneiform and base of the first metatarsal. The TA muscle is responsible for both dorsiflexion and inversion of the foot. We present a case of bilateral TA muscle variations that diverge slightly from the current classification systems of this muscle.Recognizing variations such as these may be important for anatomists, surgeons, podiatrists, and physicians. Following routine dissection, an accessory tendon of the TA muscle was found on both sides. Accessory tendons of the extensor hallucis longus and extensor hallucis brevis joined to form a common tendon on both sides. We believe that this unique case will help further the classification systems for the tendons of the TA and also be informative for clinical anatomists as well as physicians treating patients with pathology in this region.

An accessory submandibular gland is a rare variation. As such, there is limited literature regarding the embryology, anatomy, variations, clinical imaging, and pathology of the accessory submandibular gland. In this article, we review the existing literature on the accessory submandibular gland from clinical and anatomical perspectives. The goal of this review is to provide comprehensive knowledge of this variation which can be useful for oral and maxillofacial/head and neck surgeons, radiologists, and anatomists. Within this review, the embryologic origin as well as the anatomy of the accessory submandibular gland is detailed. Several imaging modalities which can be used to visualize the accessory submandibular gland are outlined as well as its variations. Lastly, this review investigates several reported clinical considerations regarding the accessory submandibular gland including sialoliths, Wharton’s duct obstruction, and pleomorphic adenoma.

Although adequate venous drainage from the cranium is imperative for maintaining normal intracranial pressure, the bony anatomy surrounding the inferior petrosal sinus and the potential for a compressive canal or tunnel has, to our knowledge, not been previously investigated. One hundred adult human skulls (200 sides) were observed and documented for the presence or absence of an inferior petrosal groove or canal. Measurements were made and a classification developed to help better understand their anatomy and discuss it in future reports. We identified an inferior petrosal sinus groove (IPSG) in the majority of specimens. The IPSG began anteriorly where the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone articulated with the sphenoid part of the clivus, traveled posteriorly, in a slight medial to lateral course, primarily just medial to the petro-occipital fissure, and ended at the anteromedial aspect of the jugular foramen. When the IPSGs were grouped into five types. In type I specimens, no IPSG was identified (10.0%), in type II specimens, a partial IPSG was identified (6.5%), in type III specimens, a complete IPSG (80.0%) was identified, in type IV specimens, a partial IPS tunnel was identified (2.5%), and in type V specimens, a complete tunnel (1.0%) was identified. An improved knowledge of the bony pathways that the intracranial dural venous sinuses take as they exit the cranium is clinically useful. Radiological interpretation of such bony landmarks might improve patient diagnoses and surgically, such anatomy could decrease patient morbidity during approaches to the posterior cranial fossa.