• Simona Serioli, Barbara Buffoli, Roberto Maroldi, Pierpaolo Mattogno, Simona Gaudino, Liverana Lauretti, Rita Rezzani, Alessandro Olivi, Marco Maria Fontanella, Mario Rigante, and Francesco Doglietto.
• Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, Spedali Civili of Brescia, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy. Electronic address: s.serioli002@unibs.it.
• World Neurosurg. 2023 Apr 1; 172: 121912-19.

BackgroundThe oculomotor cistern (OMC) is a cerebrospinal fluid space bound by meningeal layers that surrounds the oculomotor nerve as it crosses the oculomotor triangle to reach the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus at the level of the anterior clinoid process. Although several anatomical and radiological studies are available, its anatomy and relationship with pituitary adenomas (PAs) are still matter of discussion.ObjectiveThe aim of the study is to provide an updated and focused overview of the OMC, highlighting the different perspectives and descriptions from anatomical, radiological, and clinical points of view.MethodsA scoping review was conducted up to 29th October 2022, according to PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) criteria. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus databases, and correlated citations were investigated.ResultsOf the 562 records identified, 22 were included in the present analysis. There were 13, 5, and 4 anatomo-surgical, radiological, and clinical studies, respectively. Though there is general consensus on its definition, data are variable on different features of OMC. Defects or absence of dural layers adjacent to the oculomotor nerve were described in only 4 papers. The transition from meningeal to neural layers is still unclear. PAs with OMC involvement are poorly studied and have unique clinical characteristics. To date, 21 patients have been described; the reported prevalence of OMC involvement by PAs ranges from 4.1% to 14.6%.ConclusionsClarifying the OMC features with further systematic studies may not only broaden theoretical knowledge but also have implications on endoscopic transnasal pituitary surgery.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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