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Updated: Nov 16, 2025
Role of Diffusion MRI Tractography in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery
Published on: July 5, 2021
The Inferolateral Surgical Triangle of the Cavernous Sinus: A Cadaveric and MRI Study with Neurosurgical Significance
Heather Kimball1, David Kimball2, David Blihar3
1Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada, West Indies.
Background:
The inferolateral triangle is a surgical skull base triangle used as a neurosurgical landmark. There are few reports of its measurements with little attention paid to anatomic variations.
Methods:
The inferolateral triangle was measured in 10 adult human cadaveric heads via dissection then direct measurement and 5 participants undergoing neuroimaging using tracing features.
Results:
In the cadavers, mean lengths (mm) of the superior, anterior, and posterior borders were 17.0 (±5.5), 12.9 (±1.7), and 17.8 (±3.3), respectively, with mean area of 97.85 (±28.17) mm2. In the participants, mean lengths (mm) of the superior, anterior, and posterior borders were 17.35 (±4.01), 14.36 (±1.36), and 18.01 (±2.43), respectively, with mean area of 113.6 (±25.46) mm2. No statistical difference in triangle areas between groups was found.
Conclusions:
Intimate understanding of the inferolateral triangle is essential to skull-based surgery; knowing its anatomy and variations aids in surgical planning and understanding of regional pathology.
