facial colliculus

{{Short description|Elevated area of the brainstem}}

{{Technical|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox brain

| Name = Facial colliculus

| Latin = colliculus facialis

| Image = Gray709.png

| Caption = Rhomboid fossa. (Colliculus facialis labeled at center left.)

| Image2 = Human caudal brainstem posterior view description.JPG

| Caption2 = Human caudal brainstem posterior view (Colliculus facialis is #3)

| IsPartOf =

| Components =

| Artery =

| Vein =

}}

The facial colliculus is an elevated area located in the pontine tegmentum (dorsal pons),{{Citation needed|date=January 2023}} within the floor of the fourth ventricle (i.e. the rhomboid fossa). It is formed by fibres from the facial motor nucleus looping over the abducens nucleus. The facial colliculus is an essential landmark of the rhomboid fossa.{{Citation |last=Yoo |first=Hannah |title=Neuroanatomy, Facial Colliculus |date=2022 |url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555907/ |work=StatPearls |place=Treasure Island (FL) |publisher=StatPearls Publishing |pmid=32310367 |access-date=2023-01-01 |last2=Mihaila |first2=Dana M.}}

Anatomy

The facial colliculus occurs within the rhomboid fossa (i.e. the floor of the fourth ventricle) where it is placed lateral to its (midline) median sulcus.

= Structure =

The facial colliculus is formed by brachial motor nerve fibres of the facial nerve (CN VII) looping over the (ipsilateral) abducens nucleus, forming a bump upon the surface.

Clinical significance

A facial colliculus lesion would result in ipsilateral facial paralysis (i.e. Bell's palsy) and inhibited ipsilateral and unopposed contralateral eye deviation.

Additional images

File:Pons section at facial colliculus.png|Axial section of the brainstem (pons) at the level of the facial colliculus

File:Slide2PITER.JPG|Fourth ventricle. Posterior view. Deep dissection.

References

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