Turkish Neurosurgery
Morphometric study of the human brainstem and its neurovascular relations
Bianca Aurora Szabo1, Raluca Pascalau3, Vlad Adrian Padurean3
1Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Anatomy and Embryology, Cluj-Napoca,
2Emergency County Hospital Cluj, Ophthalmology, Cluj-Napoca,
3Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Faculty of Medicine, Cluj-Napoca,
DOI: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.20871-17.2

Aim:The brainstem is a very complex segment of the central nervous system because it has a high density of nuclei and tracts with vital functional roles. This explains the considerable difficulty of surgery for lesions located in or around the brainstem. Our paper aims to provide a concise description of the external configuration, its internal correspondence and the neurovascular relations of the brainstem with morphometric data that can be useful in surgical planning.Material and Methods:The study was conducted on formalin fixed brainstem specimens, which were harvested with respect to the topographic anatomy. Macroscopic measurements were performed with a Vernier caliper.Results:The anatomical structures on the ventral and dorsal aspects of the brainstem are described and illustrated schematically. Their dimensions are also graphically represented using the mean values. Serial axial sections through the brainstem demonstrate the internal correspondence of its external features. Then there are presented the apparent origins and the proximal diameters of the cranial nerves and the arteries of the posterior circulation as well as their anatomical relations.Conclusion:The external morphometry of the brainstem correlated with the position of the internal structures provides landmarks with aplicability in neurosurgery especially in the fields of intrinsic brainstem lesions, posterior fossa and fourth ventricle surgery.

Corresponding author : Raluca Pascalau