Stylomastoid foramen

Bone: Stylomastoid foramen
Base of skull. Inferior surface. Pink region is temporal bone, and stylomastoid foramen is in black circle at center of pink region.
Left temporal bone. Inferior surface. (Stylomastoid foramen is third label from the bottom on the left.)
Latin	foramen stylomastoideum
Gray's	subject #34 144

Between the styloid and mastoid processes of the temporal bone is the stylomastoid foramen

It is the termination of the facial canal, and transmits the facial nerve and stylomastoid artery.

Clinical Relevance

Bell's palsy can result from inflammation of the facial nerve where it leaves the skull at the stylomastoid foramen. Patients with Bell's palsy appear with facial drooping on the affected side.

Additional images

Facial canal

External links

• SUNY Figs 22:4a-07
• SUNY Labs 22:os-0708
• Stylomastoid+foramen at eMedicine Dictionary
• Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, at Elsevier 34257.000-1
• lesson3 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (midearcavity)
• Diagram at patientsforum.com

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.

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