Anatomy ; history ; France ; General Surgery ; history ; History, 17th Century ; History, 18th Century ; Humans

The xiphoid process of the sternum lies in the epigastric region and functions to serve as an attachment point for vital muscles that aid in respiration. With the xiphoid process extending as the most inferior portion of the sternum, variable morphology is widely observed. During a routine dissection of a 44-year-old Caucasian male cadaver, we discovered a hook-shaped, elongated xiphoid process that protruded dorsally. Potential clinical significance can arise leading to misdiagnosis of the hook-shaped xiphoid process as an epigastric mass during imaging. Though various variations of xiphoid process have been well documented, knowledge of a hook-shaped xiphoid process orientated dorsally remains scarce. Herein, this case study provides clinicians, surgeons, and radiologists a rare anomaly of the xiphoid process in order to further the knowledge of morphological variations of the xiphoid to prevent misdiagnosis and surgical complications.
Adult ; Anatomic Variation ; Cadaver ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Respiration ; Sternum ; Surgeons

An adult male was found to have a variation of the left basal vein of Rosenthal after presenting with complaints of headache and balance issues. In this case, the vein drained directly into the left superior petrosal sinus (SPS) instead of the great vein of Galen. Anatomical variation of the basal vein is likely due to embryonic development of the deep cerebral venous system as primitive structures either differentiate regress or further with age. These changes may result in the uncommon presentation seen in this case. To our knowledge, this is the first case that shows the basal vein drains into the SPS. The normal and variant anatomy of this vessel are discussed.

There are major and minor salivary glands that aid in the digestive process. Major glands are discrete and exist in predictable locations; minor salivary glands are more widespread and usually found dispersed in the mucosa of the mouth.Glands have their own contractile abilities, which allow them to secrete products without the assistance of vasculature or skeletal, or smooth muscle. This study will describe a cadaveric histological specimen in which an ectopic buccal gland was embedded within bucinator muscle fibers. Potential causes and explanations for this finding will be discussed, as well.

While the route, location, and pathology of the lingual nerve has been detailed extensively in reports in the literature, its terminal branch to the sublingual gland is often overlooked. It is known, via both gross and histological observation, that the sublingual glandular branch terminates at the posterior aspect of the sublingual gland. Upon routine cadaveric dissection of a male cadaver, one of the lingual nerve branches was found to terminate at the anteroinferior portion of a herniated sublingual gland. This specific course has not previously been discussed or reported via gross or histological observation. Therefore, a timely review of the lingual nerve’s terminal sublingual glandular branch’s anatomy and clinical significance pertaining to this case is warranted. Surgeons who treat patients with submental masses should be aware of the anatomy of this nerve and the potential variance described here in order to avoid postprocedural complications.

Anatomical variations identified at the skull base can result in challenges to the clinician. For example, the anatomy of the foramen ovale and its neighboring structures is critical knowledge for the surgeon who performs transcutaneous approaches to the foramen ovale for treating patients with trigeminal neuralgia. One nearby structure that can compound invasive procedures and potentially result in complications is the foramen of Vesalius. Although usually small, we report a giant foramen of Vesalius found in an adult female skull. The anatomy and clinical aspects of such a finding are discussed and related to other reports in the literature.

Ossification of parts of the intracranial dura mater is common and is generally accepted as an age-related finding. Additionally, duplication of the abducens nerve along its course to the lateral rectus muscle is a known, although uncommon anatomical variant. During routine cadaveric dissection, an ossified portion of dura mater traveling over the trigeminal nerve's entrance (porus trigeminus) into the middle cranial fossa was observed unilaterally. Ipsilaterally, a duplicated abducens nerve was also observed, with a unique foramen superolateral to the entrance of Dorello's canal. To our knowledge, there has been no existing report of a simultaneous ossified roof of the porus trigeminus with an ipsilateral duplicated abducens nerve. Herein, we discuss this case and the potential clinical and surgical applications. We believe this case report will be informative for the skull base surgeon in the diagnosis of neuralgic pain in the frontomaxillary, andibular, orbital, and external and middle ear regions.
Abducens Nerve ; Cadaver ; Cranial Fossa, Middle ; Diagnosis ; Dura Mater ; Ear, Middle ; Orbit ; Skull Base ; Trigeminal Neuralgia

The lingual nerve (LN) is a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, and its injury is one of the major complications during oral surgery. This study aims to investigate the anatomy of the LN in the lower third molar area. Twenty sides from ten fresh-frozen adult cadaveric Caucasian heads were examined to measure the diameter of the LN. The mean diameter of the LN was 2.20±0.37 mm (range, 1.61–2.95 mm). There were no statistically significant differences in the measurements between sexes, sides, or tooth status (dentulous or edentulous). Understanding the anatomical features of the LN is essential for performing any surgical procedure in the oral region.
Adult ; Cadaver ; Head ; Humans ; Lingual Nerve ; Mandibular Nerve ; Molar, Third ; Surgery, Oral ; Tooth ; Trigeminal Nerve

The neck is a geometric region that can be studied and operated using anatomical triangles. There are many triangles of the neck, which can be useful landmarks for the surgeon. A better understanding of these triangles make surgery more efficient and avoid intraoperative complications. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of the triangles of the neck and their clinical and surgical applications.
Intraoperative Complications ; Neck

Ossification of the mamillo-accessory ligament (MAL) is a misunderstood phenomenon; however, many have posited that it can result in nerve entrapment of the medial branch of the dorsal ramus causing zygapophyseal joint related low back pain. The MAL has been studied anatomically by few, yet the data indicate possible associations between ossification of this ligament and spondylosis. It has been proposed that mechanical stress upon the lumbar spine may also lead to progressive ossification of the MAL into a bony foramen.
Ligaments ; Low Back Pain ; Nerve Compression Syndromes ; Spine ; Spondylosis ; Stress, Mechanical ; Zygapophyseal Joint