| cranial fossa, posterior | The posterior subdivision of the floor of the cranial cavity, lodging the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata. It is formed by portions of the sphenoid, temporal, parietal, and occipital bones. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| cranial index | The ratio of the maximal breadth to the maximal length of the skull, obtained by the formula: (breadth × 100)/length. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cranial irradiation | The exposure of the head to roentgen rays or other forms of radioactivity for therapeutic or preventive purposes. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cranial mononeuropathy III | (compression type) A disorder involving vision changes and eyelid drooping associated with a decreased functioning of cranial nerve III. Damage is usually caused by compression of the nerves from localised lesions or a swelling in the area of the nerve. Examples include cerebral aneurysms and tumours Symptoms include a drooping eyelid and double vision. (diabetic type) A disorder involving vision changes and eyelid drooping associated with a decreased functioning of cranial nerve III as a complication of diabetes. Symptoms include a drooping eyelid and double vision. Good control of blood sugars can reduce the incidence of this complication. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cranial mononeuropathy vi | A disorder involving vision changes that are associated with the decreased function of cranial nerve VI. Often this form of nerve damage is associated with diabetes, tumours of the VI nerve or increased intracranial pressure. Trauma and stroke may also damage the VI cranial nerve. Symptoms include double vision when looking to one side. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cranial mononeuropathy vii | A disorder which involves drooping of the face and the decreased ability to move one side of the face. Causes include isolated damage to the facial nerve, HIV infection, sarcoidosis and Lyme disease. Bell's palsy is a dysfunction of the facial nerve for reason unknown. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cranial nerves | <anatomy> There are 12 cranial nerves. The olfactory nerve, optic nerve, occulomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, trigeminal nerve, abducent nerve, facial nerve, vestibulocochlear nerve, glossopharyngeal nerve, vagus nerve, accessory nerve and the hypoglossal nerve. (18 Nov 1997) |
| cranial neuropore | The temporary opening at the extreme rostral (cephalic) end of the early embryonic forebrain; closes at the 20th somite stage. Synonym: anterior neuropore, cranial neuropore. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cranial roots | <anatomy, nerve> The roots of the accessory nerve which arise from the medulla; the nerve fibres of the cranial root join the intracranial portion of the vagus nerve and are distributed to the pharyngeal plexus, providing the motor innervation of the soft palate (except the tensor veli palati) and the pharynx. Synonym: pars vagalis nervi accessorii, radices craniales, accessory portion of spinal accessory nerve, cranial roots, vagal part of accessory nerve, vagal part. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cranial sinuses | Large endothelium-lined venous channels situated between the two layers of the dura mater; they are devoid of valves. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cranial sutures | A type of fibrous joint between bones of the head. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cranial synchondroses | The cartilaginous joints of the skull; these include sphenoethmoidal synchondrosis, spheno-occipital synchondrosis, sphenopetrosa synchondrosis, petro-occipital synchondrosis, anterior intraoccipital and posterior intraoccipital synchondrosis. Synonym: synchondroses cranii. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cranial vault | Those bones of the skull enclosing the brain, as distinguished from the bones of the face. Synonym: braincase, cranial vault, cranium cerebrale, cerebral cranium. Origin: neuro-+ G. Kranion, skull (05 Mar 2000) |
| cranial vertebra | A segment of the skull regarded as homologous with a segment of the vertebral column. (05 Mar 2000) |
| posterior cranial fossa | The internal base of the skull posterior to the crest of the petrous part of the temporal bones and the dorsum sellae and anterior to the grooves for the transverse sinuses, where the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata rest. Synonym: fossa cranii posterior. (05 Mar 2000) |