General. The clivus (Latin for “slope”)
forms the central skull base
. It is formed by the synostosis of the basisphenoid (sphenoid bone) and basiocciput (occipital bone). During early development, the axial sclerotomes of the first somites are integrated into the skull base to form the basioccipital part of the clivus.
What is a clival tumor?
Brain and Skull Base Tumors
Clival tumors are
growths on the clivus
, a portion of bone at the base of the skull. When clival tumors grow, they may invade and damage important nearby structures: cranial nerves, the internal carotid arteries and the brainstem, for example.
What is the purpose of clivus?
The clivus is an
important landmark for checking for anatomical atlanto-occipital alignment
; the clivus, when viewed on a lateral C-spine X-ray, forms a line which, if extended, is known as Wackenheim’s clivus line. Wackenheim’s clivus line should pass through the dens of the axis or be tangential to it.
Where is clivus located?
The clivus is located in
the midline area of the skull base
. It is part of the cranium, formed by the basilar part of the occipital bone and the corpus ossis sphenoidalis.
What is the clivus of the skull?
The clivus (of Blumenbach) is
the sloping midline surface of the skull base anterior to the foramen magnum and posterior to the dorsum sellae
1
. Specifically, it is formed by the sphenoid body and the basiocciput, which join at the spheno-occipital synchondrosis.
What bone is the clivus part of?
The clivus is a part of the
posterior skull base where the basal occipital bone joins the sphenoid bone
. The abducens nerve tracks along the clivus before it enters the cavernous sinus and ultimately the superior orbital fissure (Okudo and Anusim, 2016).
What is the weakest part of the skull?
Clinical significance
The pterion
is known as the weakest part of the skull. The anterior division of the middle meningeal artery runs underneath the pterion. Consequently, a traumatic blow to the pterion may rupture the middle meningeal artery causing an epidural haematoma.
Can you survive chordoma?
Chordomas are malignant and potentially life threatening tumors. Currently the median survival in the
United States is about 7 years
. The overall survival rates are 68% at 5 years and 40% at 10 years. Complete surgical resection offers the best chance for long-term survival.
Is a chordoma painful?
Symptoms of chordoma can be very different depending on where in your spine the chordoma starts. When chordoma starts at the base of the skull you may have headaches or double vision.
Chordoma near the tailbone can cause pain down your legs
and trouble controlling your bladder or bowels.
What is a clivus mass?
Clival tumors are
rare tumors that arise in the clivus
, a portion of bone at the base of the skull between the occipital and sphenoid bones. This area is surrounded by essential structures and nerves of the brainstem and important arteries, such as the internal carotid arteries.
How clivus is formed?
Introduction: The clivus is a bony structure formed
by the fusion of the basioccipital and basispheniod bone at the sphenooccipital synchondrosis
. This downward sloping structure from the dorsum sellae to the foramen magnum is derived from mesoderm and ectoderm properties.
What is a clivus fracture?
Fractures of the clivus are described as
a result of high-energy impact sustained in motor vehicle accidents
. Longitudinal, transverse, and oblique types have been described in the literature. A longitudinal fracture carries the worst prognosis, especially when it involves the vertebrobasilar system.
What is a Clival Canal?
The canalis basilaris medianus (median basal canal), also known as clival canal, median clival canal, or inferior median clival canal, refers to
a number of anatomic variant midline canals in the clivus
, typically involving the basioccipital portion.
What is skull base?
The base of skull, also known as the cranial base or the cranial floor, is
the most inferior area of the skull
. It is composed of the endocranium and the lower parts of the skull roof.
What is Clinoid process?
The posterior border of small wing of sphenoid, smooth and rounded, is received into the lateral fissure of the brain; the medial end of this border forms the anterior clinoid process, which gives attachment to the tentorium cerebelli; it is sometimes joined to the middle clinoid process by a spicule of bone, and when …
Is the clivus part of the temporal bone?
The clivus (Latin for “slope”) is a part of the cranium, a shallow depression behind the dorsum sellae that slopes obliquely backward. … Laterally, the clivus meets the
petrous portion of
the temporal bone at the petro-occipital fissure. Together, these three bones form the skull base and middle fossa floor.
