Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy
Published in: Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy 5/2016

01-07-2016 | Original Article

Anatomical study of pterygoid canal (PC) and palatovaginal canal (PVC) in endoscopic trans-sphenoidal approach

Authors: Ye Cheng, Haijun Gao, Ge Song, Yunqian Li, Gang Zhao

Published in: Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy | Issue 5/2016

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

The primary purpose of our work was to make anatomical measurements of pterygoid canal (PC) and palatovaginal canal (PVC). The secondary goal was to locate the two structures based on the landmarks in the trans-sphenoidal surgery and draw a safe corridor of fenestration in the bottom of sphenoid sinus during surgical procedure to sphenopalatine region.

Materials and methods

Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) images of PC, PVC and sphenoid sinus in 200 adults were reviewed. Multiplanar reconstruction of the CT images was performed, and the anatomical features of the PC and PVC were studied in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes. The length, diameter and direction of PC and PVC were measured in the plane through or perpendicular to them. The anterior and posterior opening of PC and PVC were identified by the surgical landmarks such as the middle lowest point of sellar floor, the sagittal midline and the bottom of the sphenoid sinus.

Result

Both PC and PVC can be found and identified easily on CTA image, the shape and size of the PC and PVC were in agreement with those retrieved from previous literatures, the position of them can be located by the anatomical landmarks in sphenoid sinus.

Conclusion

Knowing the anatomical features of PC and PVC and their location based on the anatomical landmarks are helpful to the endoscopic trans-sphenoidal surgery. These data in our study will provide surgeons a better understanding of PC and PVC and their relationship to sphenoid sinus. Notably, it will not help the surgeons to avoid injuring neurovascular structures as well as provided supportive information for the choice of the appropriate endoscopic equipment.
Literature
1.
Al-Mefty O, Pravdenkova S, Gragnaniello C (2010) A technical note on endonasal combined microscopic endoscopic with free head navigation technique of removal of pituitary adenomas. Neurosurg Rev 33:243–249CrossRefPubMed
2.
Cheng Y, Liu M, Zhang S, Tian Y, Song D, Li Y, Luo Q (2013) Optic canal (OC) and internal carotid artery (ICA) in sellar region. Surg Radiol Anat 20:797–801CrossRef
3.
Cheng Y, Zhang H, Su L, Tian Y, Zhang S, Zheng Y, Cui D, Li Y, Wang Y (2013) Anatomical study of cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery and its relationship to the structures in sella region. J Craniofac Surg 24:622–625CrossRefPubMed
4.
Fu ZH, Chen YZ, Jiang WP, Yang S, Zhang J, Zhang WM, Zhang SZ, Ke YQ (2014) The anatomical and clinical details of the pterygoid canal: a three-dimensional reconstructive virtual anatomic evaluation based on CT. Surg Radiol Anat 36:181–188CrossRefPubMed
5.
Hu JC, Lu YT (2014) Applied anatomy and advance of endoscope surgeries in the palatovaginal, vidian canal and petrous internal carotid artery. J Otolayrngol Ophthal Shandong Univ 4:13–16
6.
Karligkiotis A, Volpi L, Abbate V, Battaglia P, Meloni F, Turri-Zanoni M, Bignami M, Castelnuovo P (2014) Palatovaginal (pharyngeal) artery: clinical implication and surgical experience. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 271(10):2839–2843CrossRefPubMed
7.
Kassam AB, Vescan AD, Carrau RL et al (2008) Expanded endonasal approach: vidian canal as a landmark to the petrous internal carotid artery. J Neurosurg 108:177–183CrossRefPubMed
8.
Locatelli M, Bertani G, Carrabba G, Rampini P, Zavanone M, Caroli M, Sala E, Ferrante E, Gaini SM, Spada A, Mantovani G, Lania A (2012) The trans-sphenoidal resection of pituitary adenomas in elderly patients and surgical risk. Pituitary 16:146–151CrossRef
9.
Mato D, Yokota H, Hirono S, Martino J, Saeki N (2015) The vidian canal: radiological features in Japanese population and clinical implications. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 55:71–76CrossRef
10.
Niu J (2007) Anatomical study of pterygoid canal with multi slice spiral CT. J Pract Radiol 23:444–446
11.
Ogawa Y, Tominaga T (2012) Extended transsphenoidal approach for tuberculum sellae meningioma-what are the optimum and critical indications? Acta Neurochir 154:621–626CrossRefPubMed
12.
Omami G, Hewaidi G, Mathew R (2011) The neglected anatomical and clinical aspects of pterygoid canal: CT scan study. Surg Radiol Anat 33:697–702CrossRefPubMed
13.
Saeki N, Horiguchi K, Murai H, Hasegawa Y, Hanazawa T, Okamoto Y (2010) Endoscopic endonasal pituitary and skull base surgery. Neurol Med Chir 50:756–764CrossRef
14.
Wang XJ, Yu H, Cai ZH, Wang ZF (2014) Anatomical study on meckel cave with endoscopic endonasal, endo-maxillary sinus, and endo-pterygoid process approaches. PLoS One 9:e91444CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
15.
Yang BT, Wang ZC, Liu S, Chang QL, Zhang ZY, Lan BS (2005) High resolution CT study of palatovaginal canal. Clin Radiol 24:25–27
16.
Yeh IK, Wu IS (2013) Computed tomography evaluation of the sphenoid sinus and the vidian canal. B-ENT 9:117–121PubMed
17.
Zhang H, Liu X, Cheng Y, Zhang S, Wang C, Cui D, Li Y, Fu Y, Wang Y (2013) A new method of locating the optic canal based on structures in sella region: computed tomography study. J Craniofac Surg 24:1011–1015CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Anatomical study of pterygoid canal (PC) and palatovaginal canal (PVC) in endoscopic trans-sphenoidal approach
Authors
Ye Cheng
Haijun Gao
Ge Song
Yunqian Li
Gang Zhao
Publication date
01-07-2016
Publisher
Springer Paris
Published in
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy / Issue 5/2016
Print ISSN: 0930-1038
Electronic ISSN: 1279-8517
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-015-1597-2

Other articles of this Issue 5/2016

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy 5/2016 Go to the issue

Letter to the Editor

Muscle attachment to the condylar process of mandible: anatomical considerations

Original Article

Pathological findings in patients with low anterior inferior iliac spine impingement

Anatomic Variations

Extension of the frontal sinus into the roof of the optic canal: a cadaveric case report

Anatomic Variations

A radial artery originating from the thoracoacromial artery

Original Article

The importance of intramedullary hip nail positioning during implantation for stable pertrochanteric fractures: biomechanical analysis

Anatomic Variations

An unusual variant of the abducens nerve duplication with two nerve trunks merging within the orbit: a case report with comments on developmental background