Benign extramedullary tumours of the foramen magnum region are largely schwannomas and meningiomas. Tumours originating from the motor part of cranial nerves, such as the VIIth, IXth, XIth and XIIth cranial nerves, are extremely rare. Hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII) schwannomas are such an example, usually arising intracranially and, in exceptional cases, extending into the extracranial c...

Introduction The vertebral artery (VA) normally arises from the superoposterior aspect of the first part of the subclavian artery. It enters through the foramen transversarium of the 6th cervical vertebra, then passes upwards through the foramina in the transverse processes of all of the cervical vertebrae above, curves medially behind the lateral mass of the atlas and enters the cranium via th...

resist decomposition for a long period. The foramen magnum, which is located at the cranial base, also good parameter identifications with reasonable accuracy. surface area of magnum can be calculated using 3D reconstructed computer tomography head to assess morphological differences in males and females, useful forensic sciences.Objectives: To measure antero-posterior length transverse diamete...

Seven cases of aneurysm of the vertebral and basilar arteries, in which the clinical features suggested a diagnosis of posterior fossa tumour, are presented. Their clinical manifestations and the difficulties of diagnosis are discussed. These lesions may mimic cerebellopontine angle tumours or brain-stem gliomas, or, less commonly, the picture is one of a compressive lesion at the foramen magnu...

Cerebral edema resulting in elevated intracranial pressure is a well-known complication of galactosemia. Lumbar puncture was performed for the diagnosis of clinically suspected bacterial meningitis. Herniation of cerebral tissue through the foramen magnum is not a common problem in neonatal intensive care units because of the open fontanelle in infants. We present the case of a 3-week-old infan...

Chiari type I malformation (CMI) is a congenital hindbrain anomaly characterized by downward displacement of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum. Chiari type I malformation often presents with a complex clinical picture and can be sporadic or linked to a variety of genetic conditions. We report on a girl in whom Chiari type I malformation was associated with hypoglycemia, headache...

Iniencephaly is an extremely rare neural tube defect characterized by the triad of fixed retroflexion of the head, variable degrees of cervical lordosis and dysraphism, and an occipital bone defect involving the foramen magnum. Incidence ranges from 0.1 to 10 in 10,000. Although there have been cases of iniencephaly reported as an isolated anomaly, it very rarely occurs alone. We report here a ...

In dogs, a wire with a pressure-sensitive transducer was inserted percutaneously into the subarachnoid space and manipulated under fluoroscopic monitoring in the posterior fossa or upper cervical spinal canal. Pressure recordings from the wire showed fluctuations in pressure corresponding to the cardiac cycle. When a balloon was distended in the foramen magnum, maximum and minimum pressures inc...

A 65-year-old woman with a history of rheumatoid arthritis presented with a rare case of acquired Chiari malformation secondary to atlantoaxial vertical subluxation, associated with congenital atlanto-occipital assimilation. Syringomyelia and tetraparesis improved immediately after posterior fossa decompression and simultaneous occipito-cervical junction fusion. The progression of acquired Chia...

The authors present two patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by ruptured intracranial saccular aneurysms of the persistent primitive hypoglossal artery. A standard unilateral suboccipital approach in one patient resulted in incomplete neck clipping since the operative field was restricted by a protruding jugular tubercle. Successful aneurysmal neck clipping was achieved in the second pa...