Download File

Lesson№4
THE FOURTH VENTRICLE, THE RHOMBOID FOSSA,
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE RHOMBOID FOSSA GREY MATTER,
PROJECTION OF THE CRANIAL NERVE NUCLEI ONTO THE
RHOMBOID FOSSA
THE FOURTH VENTRICLE
The fourth ventricle (ventriculus quartus) is common cavity of аll parts of
the hindbrain composing the rhombencephalon (the medulla oblongata, cerebellum,
pons, and isthmus). It is shaped like а tent in which а floor and roof are
distinguished.
The floor, or base, of the ventricle is shaped like а rhombus, so it is termed the
rhomboid fossa (fossa rhomboidea). It is formed by the posterior surface of the
medulla and pons. The apex of the roof juts out into the inferior surface of the
cerebellum. In the posteroinferior angle of the rhomboid fossa the central canal of the
spinal cord is opened, while in the anterosuperior angle the fossa communicates with
the aqueduct. The lateral angles terminate as two blind lateral recesses of the fourth
ventricle (recessus laterales ventriculi quarti) curving ventrallу around the inferior
cerebellar peduncles.
The roof of the fourth ventricle (tegmen ventriculi quarti) is composed of two
medullary veli: the velum medullare superius stretched between the superior
cerebellar peduncles, and the velum medullare inferius, а paired structure adjacent to
the floccular peduncles. Раrt of the roof between the veli consists of cerebellar
mаttеr. The inferior medullary velum is supplemented by а layer of the pia mater,
tela chorioidea ventriculi IV, covered on the inside by а layer of epithelium, lamina
chorioidea epithelialis, the choroid plexus of the fourth ventricle is connected with it.
There are three openings in the cavity of the ventricle: а median aperture
(apertura mediana ventriculi quarti), or Magendie's foramen. It is situated in the
region of the inferior angle of the rhomboid fossa, and two smaller, lateral
apertures in the region of the lateral recesses of the ventricle (aperturae laterales
ventriculi quarti); the lateral apertures are also known as Luschka's foramina. Ву
means of these apertures the fourth ventricle communicates with the subarachnoid
space of the brain. So, the cerebrospinal fluid from the cerebral ventricles enters the
intermeningeal spaces. Cerebrospinal fluid accumulating in the ventricles of the brain
in constriction or obliteration of these apertures in inflammation of the meninges
(meningitis) cannot drain into the subarachnoid sрасе and hydrocephalus develops.
The rhomboid fossa has four sides, two superior and two inferior. The superior
sides are bounded by two superior cerebellar peduncles, the inferior sides are
bounded by the two inferior cerebellar peduncles. On the midline of the rhombus,
from the superior to the inferior angle, stretches the sulcus medianus. It divides the
rhomboid fossa into right and left halves. On either side of the sulcusis an elevationseminentia medialis.
Trigonum nervi hypoglossi is situated in the low angle of the rhomboid fossa.
Lateral two the low part of this triangle trigonum nervi vagi is located. Above the
eminentia medialis has a swelling colliculus facialis, produced by the root of the
facial nerve.
In the region of the lateral angles, on either side is the vestibular area, the
nuclei of the 8-th nerve lie here. Striae medullares ventriculi quarti is situated in the
middle of rhomboid fossa. These striae divide the rhomboid fossa into а superior and
inferior halves and correspond to the junction of the medulla oblongata and the pons.
Topography of the Rhomboid Fossa Grey Matter
The grey matter of the spinal cord is continuous with the grey matter of the
brain stem and partly spreads in the rhomboid fossa and on the walls of the aqueduct
and partly breaks up into the nuclei of the cranial nerves or into nuclei of the bundles
of the conduction tracts.
To understand the arrangement of these nuclei one must bear in mind that, as it
is said above, the closed neural tube of the spinal cord opened on its dorsal side at the
junction with the medulla oblongata and spread out to form the rhomboid fossa. As а
result the posterior horns of grey matter of the spinal cord diverged, as it were. The
somatic sensory nuclei embedded in the posterior horns acquired а lateral position in
the rhomboid fossa while the somatic motor nuclei corresponding to the anterior
2
horns remained in а medial position. As to the vegetative nuclei located in the lateral
horns of the spinal cord, they, in accordance with the position of the lateral horns are
situated between the somatic sensory and somatic motor nuclei in the rhomboid
fossa.
Projection of the cranial nerve nuclei onto the rhomboid fossa.
The fifth pair, the trigeminal nerve (n. trigeminus), has four nuclei, one motor
and three sensitive nuclei.
1. The superior sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nervе (nucleus sensorius
principalis n. trigemini) is projected onto the dorsolateral part of the superior part of
the pons.
2. The nucleus of the spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve (nucleus tractus
spinalis).
3.The motor nuclei of the trigeminal nerve (nucleus motorius n. trigemini),it is
concerned with mastication.
4.The mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve (nucleus tractus
mesencephalicus).
The sixth pair, the abducent nerve (n. abducens), has one motor nucleus
embedded in the loop of the facial nerve and the facial colliculus on the surface of
the rhomboid fossa corresponds, therefore, tо this nucleus.
The seventh pair, the facial nerve (n. facialis), and the nervus intermedius,
whose course is intimately connected with the facial nerve has three nuclei, onemotor, one sensitive, and one vegetative.
1.Nucleus motorius nervi facialis which lye in the reticular formation of the
dorsal part of the pons.
2. The sensory nucleus of the tractus solitarius (nucleus tractus solitarii).
3. The vegetative (secretory) superior salivary nucleus (nucleus salivatorius
superior) embedded in the reticular formation of the pons dorsal to the nucleus of the
facial nerve.
The eighth pair, the auditory nerve (n. vestibulocochlearis), has numerous
nuclei which are projected onto the lateral angles of the rhomboid fossa in the
3
vestibular area. The nuclei are separated into two groups according to the two
divisions of the nerve. One division of the nerve, pars cochlearis, the cochlear nerve
or the nerve of hearing proper, has two nuclei:
1.Nucleus cochlearis dorsalis, and 2.Nucleus cochlearis ventralis, lying lateral
to and in front of the dorsal nucleus.
The other division of the nerve, pars vestibularis, the vestibular nerve, has four
nuclei (nuclei vestibulares).
1. The medial vestibular nucleus (main) (Schwalbe's nucleus).
2. The lateral vestibular nucleus (Deiters' nucleus).
3. The superior vestibular nucleus (Bechterew's nucleus).
4. The inferior vestibular nucleus.
The ninth pair, the glossopbaryngeal nerve (n. glossopharpngeus), also
contains three nuclei.
1. The sensory nucleus tractus solitarius, common with the facial nerve.
2. The vegetative (secretory) inferior salivary nucleus (nucleus salivatorius
inferior); its cells are scattered in the reticular formation of the medulla oblongata
between the nucleus ambiguus and the olivary nucleus.
3. The motor nucleus ambiguus in common with the vagus and accessory
nerves.
The tenth pair, the vagus nerve (n. vagus), has the following three nuclei.
1. The sensory nucleus of the tractus solitarius (nucleus tractus solitarii)
common with the facial and glossofaringeal nerves.
2. The vegetative dorsal nucleus of the vagus nerve (nucleus dorsalis n. vagi),
lies in the same region.
3. The motor nucleus ambiguus common with the nucleus of the ninth pair;
The eleventh pair, the accessory nerve (n. accessorius), has two nuclei (both
motor): one is located in the spinal cord and is called the spinal nucleus of the
accessory nerve (nucleus spinalis n. accessorii), the other is а caudal continuation of
the nuclei of the tenth and ninth pairs of nerves and is called the nucleus ambiguus; it
is located in the medulla oblongata dorsolateral to the olivary nucleus.
4
The twelfth pair, the hypoglossal nerve (n. hypoglossus), has а single, motor
nucleus, located in the inferior part of the rhomboid fossa, deep in the hypoglossal
triangle (trigonum n. hypoglossi).
5