MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE TENTORIAL NOTCH

Abstract

Tentorial notch is a gap in the tentorium cerebelli connecting the posterior cranial fossa with the supra tentorial compartments of the cranial cavity and transmits the mid-brain, the posterior cerebral arteries, and cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space. The dimensions of tentorial notch  determine the prognosis of trans-tentorial herniation,   concussion, acceleration-deceleration injuries. It also explains the differences in the clinical outcome in patients with similar intracranial pathologies. The extent of brain tissue herniation through the tentorial opening and the brainstem damage            depends on the variations in dimensions of tentorial notch and the relationship of brain stem to the free tentorial margin. In this study of 10 specimens from the Institute of Anatomy, Madras Medical College, specific parameters were measured and  tabulated. This study may modify the criteria for intervention procedures in neurosurgery and may provide data for  interpreting the radiological imaging of the tentorial opening and its relation to brain stem.