The pterygopalatine fossa is a tear-drop shaped space located laterally in the skull. It is bounded anteriorly by the maxilla, posteriorly by the pterygoid process and sphenoid bone, medially by the palatine bone, and laterally by the infratemporal fossa. It contains the pterygopalatine ganglion and branches of the maxillary nerve and artery. It communicates with surrounding areas through openings like the pterygomaxillary fissure, inferior orbital fissure, foramen rotundum, pterygoid canal, and sphenopalatine and palatine canals.

1. Dr. Ali Algurah
Arab Board (C.A.B.S)
High diploma in surgery

4. Pterygopalatine fossa
It is an inverted 'tear-drop' shaped space between bones
on the lateral side of the skull immediately posterior to the
maxillaand medial to the pterygomaxillary fissure .

5. Boundaries
Anteriorly: posterior surface of maxilla.
Posteriorly: anterior margin of pterygoid process below
and greater wing of sphenoid above.
Medially: perpendicular plate of palatine bone.
Superiorly: greater wing of sphenoid.
Laterally: communicates with infratemporal fossa
through pterygomaxillary fissure
•inferior: the pyramidal process of the palatine bone.

7. Communications and openings
1-Pterygomaxillary fissure:
2-Inferior orbital fissure:
3. Foramen rotundum .
4. Pterygoid canal.
5. Sphenopalatine foramen
6-pharyngeal canal
7-palatine canal.

8. The pterygomaxillary fissure:
It is vertical fissure and descends at right angles from the medial
end of the inferior orbital fissure;
it is a triangular interval,
formed by the divergence
of the maxilla from the
pterygoid process of the
sphenoid.
It connects
the infratemporal with
the pterygopalatine fossa

9. 1. Pterygomaxillary fissure:
transmits
Maxillary artery from the
infratemporal fossa,
Posterior superior alveolar
Sphenopalatine veins

11. The pterygoid canal (also vidian canal)
is a passage in the skull, leading from just anterior to the
foramen lacerum in the middle cranial fossa to the
pterygopalatine fossa.
The pterygoid canal runs through the medial pterygoid
plate of the sphenoid bone to the back wall of the
pterygopalatine fossa.
The pterygoid canal transmits
 the greater petrosal and deep petrosal nerves (which
combine to form the nerve of the pterygoid canal)
an accompanying artery derived from the maxillary
artery.

14. Inferior orbital fissure:
The lateral wall and the floor of the orbit are
separated posteriorly by the inferior orbital fissure
. The infraorbital vessels are
found in the inferior orbital
fissure, and travel down the
infraorbital groove into the
infraorbital canal and exit
through the infraorbital
foramen.It is formed by
the sphenoid bone and
maxilla.
2. Inferior orbital fissure:
transmits
Infraorbital and zygomatic
branches of the maxillary
nerve
Orbital branches of the
pterygopalatine ganglion
Infraorbital vessels.

17. 3. Foramen rotundum from the middle cranial fossa,
occupying the greater wing of the sphenoid bone and
transmit the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve

18. The sphenopalatine foramen
Sphenopalatine foramen
lying high up on the medial
wall of the fossa . This
foramen communicates with
the lateral wall of the nasal
cavity.
 This foramen leads from the
pterygopalatine fossa into the
posterior part of the
superior meatus of the
nose, and transmits the
sphenopalatine artery and
vein andposterior superior
nasal nerves (from the
pterygopalatine ganglion

19. The greater palatine canal (or pterygopalatine
canal)
6. The opening of a palatine
canal found at the base of the
fossa. Lower down, the canal
divides into greater and lesser
palatine canals. The palatine
canal transmits the greater
and lesser palatine nerves,
together with accompanying
vessels, and these pass to the
hard palate(the oral cavity) to
emerge at the greater and
lesser palatine foramina.
7. Pharyngeal canal:
courses posteriorly and
medially into pharynx, for
the pharyngeal artery

21.  Contents Of the pterygopalatine fossa
 The pterygopalatine fossa contains:
 • the pterygopalatine ganglion
 • the maxillary nerve (CN V2, the second division of
the trigeminal nerve)
 • the terminal third of the maxillary artery