Journal of neurosurgery
-
Journal of neurosurgery · May 2023
Microsurgical anatomy of the auditory radiations: revealing the enigmatic acoustic pathway from a surgical viewpoint.
The thalamocortical projections of the auditory system have not been detailed via microanatomical fiber dissections from a surgical viewpoint. The aim of this study was to delineate the course of the auditory radiations (ARs) from the medial geniculate body to their final destination in the auditory cortex. The authors' additional purpose was to display the relevant neural structures in relation to their course en route to Heschl's gyrus. ⋯ The ARs can be appreciated as a distinct fiber bundle ascending between the fibers of the sublenticular segment of the internal capsule and traversing superiorly along the roof of the temporal horn by spanning between the optic radiations. Our novel findings suggest potential disruption of the ARs' integrity during transsylvian and transtemporal approaches along the roof of the temporal horn toward the mesial temporal lobe. The detailed 3D understanding of the ARs' relations and awareness of their course may prove helpful to secure surgical interventions to the region.