Tentorial notch
Incisura tentorii
- Synonym: Incisure of tentorium
- Related terms: Tentorial notch; Incisura of tentorium
Definition
The tentorial notch is a small opening situated at the front of the tentorium cerebelli. It permits the midbrain to descend into the posterior cranial fossa, continuing as the pons and medulla oblongata. Protrusions through this notch, such as an uncal herniation of the temporal lobes, can exert pressure on the midbrain. This pressure may compress the oculomotor nerve and the descending fibers of the corticospinal and corticonuclear pathways.
References
Kekere, V. and Alsayouri, K. Anatomy, Head and Neck, Dura Mater. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545301/
Ghannam, J.Y. and Al Kharazi, K.A. Neuroanatomy, Cranial Meninges. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539882/
Snell, R.S. (2010). ‘Chapter 15: The meninges of the brain and the spinal cord’, in Clinical Neuroanatomy. (7th ed.) Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, pp.427-444.
