129 



The Cavernous Sinus. The sinus is located between the 

 petrous portion (if the temporal bone and the sphenoidal fissure. 

 the nerves you have just seen in the table passing 

 fissure also pass through the cavernous sinus. 



The sinus contains the following structures : 



1. The venous blood common to dural sinuses. 



2. The cavernous stage of the internal carotid artery. 



apex of the 

 Note that all 

 through the sphenoidal 



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FIG. 87. SCHEMATIC. 

 To show the dura mater forming sheaths for the nerves as they leave the cranium. 



3. The sympathetic plexus of nerves on the common carotid artery. 



4. The ophthalmic division of the fifth cranial nerve. 



5. The motor oculi, the third cranial, nerve. 



6. The patheticus, the fourth cranial, nerve. 



7. The abducens, the sixth cranial, nerve. 



Dissection. Remove the dura mater. Take hold of it in the region of the 

 frontal bone, and pull it back. It will come off quite readily. Locate the 



CAVERNOUS SINUS 

 INT.CAROTIO ARTERY 



FIG. 88. RELATION OF THE VARIOUS STRUCTURES PASSING THROUGH THE CAVERNOUS SINUS. 



internal carotid artery next to the sphenoid wall of the sinus. The small nerve 

 on the artery is the sixth cranial. You will find the others on the outer wall, 

 from above downward : third, fourth, and fifth. 



The Gasserian Ganglion. Remove in the same way the dura mater from 

 the middle fossa as you did from the anterior, and you will expose the Gasserian 

 ganglion in a depression on the anterior surface of the petrous portion of the 

 temporal bone near the apex. The ganglion lies between two layers of subdural 



