Sectional Anatomy Of Cranial Nerves And Their Related Blood Vessels With Plastination And MRI

Display of the cranial nerves and their surrounding structures is very helpful for diagnosis and treatment of cranial nerve diseases. In order to obtain the sectional anatomical data of the cranial nerves and their related blood vessels, MRI sectional scanning and plastination were used in this study to conduct a comparison between the image and sectional anatomy of the oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, trigeminal nerve, abducent nerve, facial nerve, vestibulocochlear nerve , lower cranial nerves and their related structures. The scanning sequence is FLASH-3D gradient echo technique that can simultaneously display the cranial nerves and their surrounding structures. Meanwhile, the cranial nerves and their surrounding structures were multi- directionally reconstructed with MPR. The transversal, coronary and sagittal successive plastination sections were made. Each section was 1.0 mm in thickness. The sectional anatomy and image of the cranial nerves and their surrounding structures were observed and compared at different directions and planes. The major results of this study are as follows: 1. The sections with a thickness of 1.0 mm were made with plastination. This displayed the serial transversal, coronary and sagittal sectional anatomy of the oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, trigeminal nerve, abducent nerve, facial nerve ,vestibulocochlear nerve and lower cranial nerves and their related structures, which provides basis of sectional anatomy for imaging study of the cranial nerves. 2. The plastinated sections were used in the comparison in MRI sectional images among the oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, trigeminal nerve, abducent nerve, vestibulocochlear nerve and lower cranial nerves. This comparison provides basis of sectional imaging for diagnosis of cranial nerve diseases. In addition, the law of the courses of the cranial nerves in different age groups of people was investigated with the brain stem as the standard. It was found that the changes of the courses of the cranial nerves were related to growth and development in people. This further suggests that the factor of age should be considered during MR imaging and reconstruction of the cranial nerves, which is of certain reference value for direct and effective showing of cranial nerves and their diseases. 3. Through investigating the cranial nerves and their related blood vessels with MRI and plastination, we obtained the imaging and sectional anatomical data of the nerves and related vessels in normal population. From the angles of sectional anatomy and imaging, we investigated the relationship between the cranial nerves and their related blood vessels, especially the relation of the oculomotor nerve to the posterior cerebral artery, superior cerebullar artery and posterior communicating artery and the normal variations in the vessels, in normal individuals. This provides more reliable imaging and anatomical bases for diagnosis, evaluation of sensitivity and treatment of neurovascular compressive illnesses. 4. Through the corresponding display of the related structures at the area of jugular foramen by MRI and plastination, the normal MRI images and transversal, coronary and sagittal thin sectional anatomical data of the jugular foramen, lower cranial nerves, related veins, hypoglossal canal were obtained. This provides subjective and accurate evaluating basis for diagnosis of lesions 0 in this area.