Petrolingual ligament

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The petrolingual ligament lies at the posteroinferior aspect of the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus and marks the point at which the internal carotid artery enters the cavernous sinus.

Anatomically, the petrolingual ligament demarcates two of the segments of the internal carotid artery:

For surgeons and radiologists, it is important to be oriented to the location of this ligament in cases of possible dissection of the internal carotid artery, as it helps determine whether the dissection has occurred inside or outside the cavernous sinus. [1]

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References

  1. Ziyal, I. M.; Salas, E.; Wright, D. C.; Sekhar, L. N. (1998). "The Petrolingual Ligament: The Anatomy and Surgical Exposure of the Posterolateral Landmark of The Cavernous Sinus". Acta Neurochir (Wien). 140 (3): 201–205. doi:10.1007/s007010050086.