Neuroimaging clinics of North America
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Neuroimaging Clin. N. Am. · May 2008
ReviewMRI of the cranial nerves--more than meets the eye: technical considerations and advanced anatomy.
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the method of choice to evaluate the cranial nerves. Although the skull base foramina can be seen on CT, the nerves themselves can only be visualized in detail on MR. To see the different segments of nerves I to XII, the right sequences must be used. ⋯ In this article, MR principles for imaging of the cranial nerves are discussed. The basic anatomy of the cranial nerves and the cranial nerve nuclei as well as their central connections are discussed and illustrated briefly. The emphasis is on less known or more advanced extra-axial anatomy, illustrated with high-resolution MR images.
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We discuss the arterial supply of the cranial nerves from their exit out of the brain stem to their exit from the skull base. Four distinct groups can be differentiated from an embryologic and phylogenetic standpoint. Understanding the arterial supply to the cranial nerves and the potential anastomoses is paramount in the endovascular treatment of dural AV shunts and highly vascularized tumors of the skull base to avoid neurologic deficits.