THE PETROLINGUAL LIGAMENT - THE ANATOMY AND SURGICAL EXPOSURE OF THE POSTEROLATERAL LANDMARK OF THE CAVERNOUS SINUS

The petrolingual ligament is the posteroinferior attachment of the lat eral wall of the cavernous sinus, where the internal carotid artery en ters the cavernous sinus. The petrous segment of the internal carotid artery finishes and the cavernous segment begins at the superior margi n of this ligament. The ligament is surgically important due to its id entification as a landmark for dissection of the internal carotid arte ry during the approaches to posterolateral intracavernous and extracav ernous lesions. It can be well exposed after mobilization of the gasse rian ganglion, or after the trigeminal root and ganglion have been spl it along the junction of V-2 and V-3 (the transtrigeminal approach). T he petrolingual ligament was studied in five cadaveric head specimens from ten sides. The size of the ligament was measured, and its anatomi cal, clinical and surgical importance is discussed.