ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the surgical anatomy of the skull base with reference to otolaryngology. It describes three main areas of skull base: anterior, posterior, and lateral. The anterior skull base forms the floor of the anterior cranial fossa, and a 'roof' over the orbits and ethmoid air cell system. The posterior skull base forms the base of the posterior cranial fossa and is formed by occipital bone. The lateral skull base covers the remaining base of the skull between the anterior and posterior regions. The temporal bone consists of four parts, which each ossify independently and later fuse: squamous, petromastoid, tympanic, and styloid. As the greater wing articulates with the squamous temporal bone, just in front of the articular eminence, it forms the medial roof of the infratemporal fossa, a space beneath the skull between the pharynx and the ramus of the mandible. Anteriorly, this infratemporal surface ends in the inferior orbital fissure behind the maxilla, transmitting the maxillary nerve.
