Where is the foramen caecum of the skull located?
The foramen caecum is located on the internal surface of the skull (facies interna), within the anterior cranial fossa (fossa cranii anterior). Anatomically, it belongs to the frontal bone.
Topographic landmarks:
- Anteriorly, the anterior cranial fossa is conventionally bounded by the frontal squama (squama frontalis).
- From the upper margin of the squama, the groove for superior sagittal sinus (sulcus sinus sagittalis superioris) descends along the midline.
- Inferiorly, this groove transitions into the frontal crest (crista frontalis), to which the falx cerebri attaches.
- The foramen caecum (foramen caecum) is located laterally to the frontal crest.
What does it communicate with and what passes through it?
- Communication: The foramen caecum of the frontal bone typically communicates with the nasal cavity.
- Contents: An emissary vein passes through the foramen caecum. In some cases, it may transmit small veins.
Topography and adjacent structures
In the anterior cranial fossa, near the foramen caecum, there are other important anatomical structures:
- Cribriform foramina (foramina cribrosa) of the ethmoid bone — through these, the cranial cavity communicates with the nasal cavity, and olfactory filaments and meningeal branches pass through them.
- Posteriorly, the anterior cranial fossa is bounded by the lesser wings of the sphenoid bone (alae minores ossis sphenoidalis) laterally and by the prechiasmatic sulcus (sulcus prechiasmaticus) along the midline.
Do not confuse with: foramen caecum of tongue
In anatomy, there is a structure with an identical name — the foramen caecum of the tongue (foramen caecum linguae), located in the region of the root of the tongue.
When the thyroglossal duct (ductus thyroglossus) fails to obliterate, median (thyroglossal) cysts and fistulae of the neck develop:
- Median cysts: slowly growing, painless swellings typically located along the midline of the neck between the hyoid bone and the thyroid cartilage. Atypically, they may be located behind the hyoid bone within the thickness of the root of the tongue ("lingual root cysts").
- Median fistulae: in most cases, they form secondarily due to suppuration of median cysts or following their non-radical surgical removal. In a complete median fistula, its internal opening opens in the region of the foramen caecum linguae. From there, the fistulous tract descends obliquely downward between the muscles of the floor of the oral cavity, pierces the hyoid bone, and opens onto the skin of the neck.
Class and exam questions
In which cranial fossa is the foramen caecum located?
It is located in the anterior cranial fossa (fossa cranii anterior), on the internal surface of the frontal bone.
What passes through the foramen caecum of the frontal bone?
An emissary vein passes through the foramen caecum, and in some cases, small veins may pass through it.
With which cavity does the foramen caecum of the skull communicate?
The foramen caecum of the frontal bone typically communicates with the nasal cavity.
What structure attaches near the foramen caecum?
Nearby is the frontal crest (crista frontalis), to which the falx cerebri attaches.
What else to study on this topic
- Anterior cranial fossa (Fossa cranii anterior)
- Frontal bone (Os frontale)
- Cribriform foramina (Foramina cribrosa)
- Emissary veins of the skull
- Median cysts and fistulae of the neck
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