Pterygoid canal

Pterygoid Canal

The Pterygoid Canal (also known as the Vidian Canal) is a canal in the skull that transmits the Vidian nerve, a branch of the facial nerve. It is named after the Pterygoid process, a bony protrusion in the skull, and the Greek word "oid", meaning "like", due to its location and shape.

Etymology

The term "Pterygoid" is derived from the Greek words "pteryx" and "eidos", meaning "wing" and "form" respectively. This is in reference to the wing-like shape of the Pterygoid process of the sphenoid bone, where the canal is located. The term "Vidian" is named after Guido Guidi, a 16th-century Italian anatomist who first described the canal.

Anatomy

The Pterygoid Canal runs from the foramen lacerum to the pterygopalatine fossa, passing through the sphenoid bone. It transmits the Vidian nerve, a branch of the facial nerve, and the Vidian artery, a branch of the maxillary artery.

Clinical Significance

Due to its location and the structures it transmits, the Pterygoid Canal is of clinical significance in several medical conditions. These include Vidian nerve neuralgia, a rare condition characterized by severe facial pain, and Vidian neurectomy, a surgical procedure to cut the Vidian nerve in order to treat certain conditions such as chronic rhinitis.

Related Terms

• Pterygoid process
• Vidian nerve
• Foramen lacerum
• Pterygopalatine fossa
• Sphenoid bone
• Maxillary artery
• Vidian nerve neuralgia
• Vidian neurectomy

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