The pterion is the thinnest part of the lateral skull wall. Deep to it runs which artery, and at which point does it enter the skull?

• A Anterior meningeal artery; enters through foramen ovale
• B Posterior meningeal artery; enters through foramen magnum
• C Accessory meningeal artery; enters through foramen lacerum
• D Middle meningeal artery; enters through foramen spinosum ✓

Explanation

The middle meningeal artery, a branch of the maxillary artery, enters the skull through the foramen spinosum in the greater wing of the sphenoid. It then grooves the inner surface of the temporal bone and pterion region. Because the pterion is the thinnest skull region (overlapping H-pattern of frontal, parietal, temporal, and sphenoid bones) and the artery runs a groove in the bone, a blow to this area commonly tears the artery, causing an extradural (epidural) hematoma.

Reference: BD Chaurasia's Human Anatomy, 8th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.