Pterygopalatine Fossa

The pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) is a groove between the maxillary bone anteriorly and the pterygoid process posteriorly. Its anteromedial border is the perpendicular plate of the palatine bone.

The pterygopalatine fossa is an important pathway for the spread of neoplastic and infectious processes.

• Laterally: The PPF (red) communicates with the masticator space via the pterygomaxillary fissure (yellow).
• Anteriorly: The PPF communicates with the orbit via the inferior orbital fissure.
• Medially: The PPF communicates with the posterior nasal fossa via the sphenopalatine foramen (purple).
• Posteriorly and superiorly: The PPF communicates with the Meckel cave and cavernous sinus via the foramen rotundum (green).
• Posteriorly and inferiorly: The PPF communicates with the middle cranial fossa via the vidian canal (orange).
• Inferiorly: The PPF communicates with the palate via the greater and lesser palatine foramina.

A tumor that characteristically spreads via the PPF is the juvenile angiofibroma. This tumor may originate in the posterolateral wall of the nasal cavity, where it reaches the PPF through the sphenopalatine foramen. From there, the tumor spreads through the pterygomaxillary fissure into the infratemporal fossa (the part of the masticator space below the level of the zygomatic arch).

The PPF contains the pterygopalatine ganglion, the descending palatine artery (branch of the maxillary artery), V2, and the nerve of the pterygoid canal.

Masses of the PPF include,

• Juvenile angiofibroma
• Invasive tumors
• Meningioma of sphenoid wing or nasal fossa
• Metastasis
• Fracture of pterygoid plates

References

• Neuroradiology: The Requisites. Second Edition.
• Jerry V. Glowniak, Anthony L. Alcantara, Todd Getzen, and Anuj Dhawan. Navigating the Skull Base: An interactive program for learning skull base anatomy. Department of Radiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine.