[The anatomy of the pterygopalatine fossa in CT]

The pterygopalatine fossa represents a central space in the depth of the facial skull. Acting as a mediator between neighbouring compartments it is traversed by numerous neurovascular structures. High resolution CT is possible not only to depict all those canals and openings but also the soft tissue contents of the fossa itself can be visualised by CT. This paper presents the radioanatomic prerequisites for assessment of the pterygopalatine fossa that may be affected by a variety of pathologic conditions.