Expected headings
"Contents"
"Dural anatomy"
"The anterior, inferior and posterior walls are bony, while the lateral walls and roof are formed by dural slings between the anterior and posterior clinoid processes (see below). There is a fenestration in the roof of the pituitary fossa for the infundibulum. There are four parts to the pituitary fossa, although some authors describe the sella synonymously with the fossa:"
"There is, perhaps surprisingly, some controversy about the exact anatomy of the dural layers of the pituitary fossa and adjacent cavernous sinuses. A generally accepted description, which has the added benefit of being epistemologically easier to visualise and understand, is to think of the pituitary fossa as being formed by a sac of only the meningeal layer of the dura mater, with the endosteal layer only being present where there are bony structures (anterior, inferior and posterior) 4-6. This meningeal layer is continuous with the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus, passing up and over the pituitary fossa to form the diaphragma sellae. Centrally within the diaphragm, a depression is formed which represents the pituitary fossa. Therefore, the lateral walls of the pituitary fossa, between the pituitary gland and the cavernous sinus, are formed by a single, thinned, layer of meningeal dura 4-8. This also helps visualise the presence of intercavernous venous communications that can be seen below the pituitary gland (between the meningeal and endosteal layers) 4. It should be noted that connective tissue surrounds the cranial nerves contained in the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus. This connective tissue is variably described as arising from the endosteal layer 7 or from the meningeal layer 8. Regardless of this distinction, it is true that the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus is double-layered whereas the medial wall, between the cavernous sinus and the pituitary, is formed by a single layer of dura 7,8."
"The anterior, inferior and posterior walls are bony, while the lateral walls and roof are formed by dural slings between the anterior and posterior clinoid processes (see below). There is a fenestration in the roof of the pituitary fossa for the infundibulum. There are four parts to the pituitary fossa, although some authors describe the sella synonymously with the fossa:"
"The anterior, inferior and posterior walls are bony, while the lateral walls and roof are formed by dural slings between the anterior and posterior clinoid processes (see below). There is a fenestration in the roof of the pituitary fossa for the infundibulum. There are four parts to the pituitary fossa, although some authors describe the sella synonymously with the fossa:"
"There is, perhaps surprisingly, some controversy about the exact anatomy of the dural layers of the pituitary fossa and adjacent cavernous sinuses. A generally accepted description, which has the added benefit of being epistemologically easier to visualise and understand, is to think of the pituitary fossa as being formed by a sac of only the meningeal layer of the dura mater, with the endosteal layer only being present where there are bony structures (anterior, inferior and posterior) 4-6. This meningeal layer is continuous with the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus, passing up and over the pituitary fossa to form the diaphragma sellae. Centrally within the diaphragm, a depression is formed which represents the pituitary fossa. Therefore, the lateral walls of the pituitary fossa, between the pituitary gland and the cavernous sinus, are formed by a single, thinned, layer of meningeal dura 4-8. This also helps visualise the presence of intercavernous venous communications that can be seen below the pituitary gland (between the meningeal and endosteal layers) 4. It should be noted that connective tissue surrounds the cranial nerves contained in the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus. This connective tissue is variably described as arising from the endosteal layer 7 or from the meningeal layer 8. Regardless of this distinction, it is true that the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus is double-layered whereas the medial wall, between the cavernous sinus and the pituitary, is formed by a single layer of dura 7,8."