Pterion

The pterion is located in the temporal fossa, approximately 2.6 cm behind and 1.3 cm above the posterolateral margin of the frontozygomatic suture.{{cite journal|last=Siyan|first=MA |author2=Louisa J.M. Baillie |author3=Mark D. Stringer|title=Reappraising the surface anatomy of the pterion and its relationship to the middle meningeal artery|journal=Clinical Anatomy|date=April 2012|volume=25|issue=3|pages=330–339|doi=10.1002/ca.21232|pmid=21800374|s2cid=24390399 }}

It is the junction between four bones:

• the parietal bone.
• the squamous part of temporal bone.
• the greater wing of sphenoid bone.
• the frontal bone.

These bones are typically joined by five cranial sutures:

• the sphenoparietal suture joins the sphenoid and parietal bones.
• the coronal suture joins the frontal bone to the sphenoid and parietal bones.
• the squamous suture joins the temporal bone to the sphenoid and parietal bones.
• the sphenofrontal suture joins the sphenoid and frontal bones.
• the sphenosquamosal suture joins the sphenoid and temporal bones.

The pterion is known as the weakest part of the skull.{{cite book |last1=Garner |first1=Jeff |last2=Goodfellow |first2=Peter |year=2004 |title=Questions for the MRCS Vivas |url=https://archive.org/details/questionsformrcs00garn |url-access=limited |page=[https://archive.org/details/questionsformrcs00garn/page/n137 123]|isbn=9780340812921 }} The anterior division of the middle meningeal artery runs underneath the pterion.{{cite web|last=Weston|first=Gabriel|title=Mapping the Body: The Temple|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/22/mapping-the-body-the-temple|work=The Guardian|access-date=4 April 2012|date=22 August 2011}} Consequently, a traumatic blow to the pterion may rupture the middle meningeal artery causing an epidural haematoma. The pterion may also be fractured indirectly by blows to the top or back of the head that place sufficient force on the skull to fracture the pterion.

The pterion is a structural landmark for neurosurgical approach to middle cerebral artery aneurysms.{{Cite journal|last1=Urzì|first1=Filippo|last2=Iannello|first2=Annalisa|last3=Torrisi|first3=Antonio|last4=Foti|first4=Pietro|last5=Mortellaro|first5=Nicola Filippo|last6=Cavallaro|first6=Marco|date=2003-04-01|title=Morphological variability of pterion in the human skull|url=https://europepmc.org/article/med/14503657|journal=Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology = Archivio Italiano di Anatomia ed Embriologia|volume=108|issue=2|pages=83–117|issn=2038-5129|pmid=14503657}}

The pterion receives its name from the Ancient Greek root {{lang|grc|πτερόν}} {{lang|grc-Latn|pteron}}, meaning 'wing'. In Greek mythology, Hermes, messenger of the gods, was enabled to fly by winged sandals, and wings on his head, which were attached at the pterion.

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{{Commons category|Pterion}}

• {{SUNYAnatomyFigs|22|01|04}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070109063133/http://face-and-emotion.com/dataface/anatomy/media/Morris_skull-lateralview.jpg Diagram - look for #24] (source [https://web.archive.org/web/20060416081054/http://face-and-emotion.com/dataface/anatomy/skullviews.jsp here])

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Category:Skull

Category:Otorhinolaryngology