The trigeminal ganglion lies in a dural pouch formed by a recess of dura mater in the middle cranial fossa, located near the apex of the petrous temporal bone. This pouch is known as:

• A The cavernous sinus proper
• B The clival recess
• C The superior petrosal recess
• D Meckel's cave (trigeminal cave) ✓

Explanation

Meckel's cave is a dural and arachnoid-lined pouch over the trigeminal impression at the petrous apex in the middle cranial fossa, housing the trigeminal ganglion and surrounded by CSF continuous with the pontine cistern. It lies posterolateral to the cavernous sinus but is a separate compartment. Pathology here, such as epidermoid tumours or perineural spread, produces trigeminal neuralgia and sensory loss in the V2 and V3 distributions.

Reference: Gray's Anatomy, 42nd ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.