The interpeduncular fossa is a deep depression of the ventral surface of the
midbrain
The midbrain or mesencephalon is the uppermost portion of the brainstem connecting the diencephalon and cerebrum with the pons. It consists of the cerebral peduncles, tegmentum, and tectum.
It is functionally associated with vision, hearing, mo ...
between the two
cerebal crura.
It has been found in humans and macaques, but not in rats or mice, showing that this is a relatively new evolutionary region.
Structure
The interpeduncular fossa is a somewhat rhomboid-shaped area of the base of the brain.
Features
The lateral wall of the interpeduncular fossa bears a groove - the oculomotor sulcus - from which
rootlets of the
oculomotor nerve
The oculomotor nerve, also known as the third cranial nerve, cranial nerve III, or simply CN III, is a cranial nerve that enters the orbit through the superior orbital fissure and innervates extraocular muscles that enable most movements o ...
emerge from the substance of the brainstem and aggregate into a single fascicle.
Anatomical relations
The
ventral tegmental area
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) (tegmentum is Latin for ''covering''), also known as the ventral tegmental area of Tsai, or simply ventral tegmentum, is a group of neurons located close to the midline on the floor of the midbrain. The VTA is th ...
lies at the depth of the interpeduncular fossa.
Boundaries
The interpeduncular fossa is in front by the
optic chiasma, behind by the antero-superior surface of the
pons
The pons (from Latin , "bridge") is part of the brainstem that in humans and other mammals, lies inferior to the midbrain, superior to the medulla oblongata and anterior to the cerebellum.
The pons is also called the pons Varolii ("bridge of ...
, antero-laterally by the converging optic tracts, and postero-laterally by the diverging cerebral peduncles.
The floor of interpeduncular fossa, from behind forward, are the
posterior perforated substance,
,
tuber cinereum,
infundibulum, and
pituitary gland
The pituitary gland or hypophysis is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans, the pituitary gland is located at the base of the human brain, brain, protruding off the bottom of the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus contr ...
.
Contents
Contents of interpeduncular fossa include
oculomotor nerve
The oculomotor nerve, also known as the third cranial nerve, cranial nerve III, or simply CN III, is a cranial nerve that enters the orbit through the superior orbital fissure and innervates extraocular muscles that enable most movements o ...
, and
circle of Willis
The circle of Willis (also called Willis' circle, loop of Willis, cerebral arterial circle, and Willis polygon) is a circulatory anastomosis that supplies blood to the brain and surrounding structures in reptiles, birds and mammals, including huma ...
.
The
basal veins pass alongside the interpeduncular fossa before joining the
great cerebral vein.
Clinical significance
The most common locations for
neurocutaneous melanosis have occurred along the interpeduncular fossa, ventral brainstem, upper cervical cord, and ventral lumbosacral cord.
See also
*
Interpeduncular cistern
*
Cerebral peduncles
Additional images
File:Human brainstem anterior view 2 description.JPG, Human brainstem anterior view
File:Slide7dd.JPG, Interpeduncular fossa. Cerebrum. Deep dissection. Inferior dissection.
References
External links
Diagram at UMich.edu
Cerebrum
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