Mastoid foramen

Bone: Mastoid foramen
Left temporal bone. Inner surface. (Mastoid foramen labeled at bottom left.)
Base of the skull. Upper surface. (Temporal bone is pink, and label for mastoid foramen is at left, second from the bottom.)
Latin	foramen mastoideum
Gray's	subject #34 141
Dorlands / Elsevier	f_12/12373281

The outer surface of the temporal bone is perforated by numerous foramina; one of these, of large size, situated near the posterior border, is termed the mastoid foramen

It transmits a vein to the transverse sinus and a small branch of the occipital artery to the dura mater.

Variations

The position and size of this foramen are very variable; it is not always present; sometimes it is situated in the occipital bone, or in the suture between the temporal and the occipital.

Additional images

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  Base of skull. Inferior surface.

External links

• Mastoid+foramen at eMedicine Dictionary
• Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, at Elsevier 34257.000-1
• Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, at Elsevier 34257.000-2
• Akram Abood Jaffar: Personal website, Anatomical variations

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant. Template:Skull