The middle meningeal artery enters the skull through which foramen and runs in a groove on which bone? Rupture of this artery from a temporal bone fracture produces which haematoma type?
- A Foramen ovale; temporal bone; subdural haematoma
- B Foramen spinosum; parietal bone; subdural haematoma
- C Foramen lacerum; sphenoid bone; extradural haematoma
- D Foramen spinosum; temporal bone; extradural (epidural) haematoma ✓
Explanation
The middle meningeal artery is a branch of the maxillary artery that enters the skull through the foramen spinosum in the greater wing of the sphenoid bone, then runs in a groove on the inner surface of the squamous temporal bone in the pterion region. Trauma to the temple (pterion — the thinnest part of the skull) fractures the temporal bone and tears the artery, causing an extradural (epidural) haematoma — blood accumulates between the skull and the periosteal layer of dura mater. This classically presents as a lucid interval following initial brief loss of consciousness, then rapid deterioration as the haematoma expands and causes transtentorial herniation.
Reference: BD Chaurasia's Human Anatomy, 8th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.