Naming the soft tissue layers of the temporoparietal region: unifying anatomic terminology across surgical disciplines.

BACKGROUND

The complexity of temporoparietal anatomy is compounded by inconsistent nomenclature.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a comprehensive review of the variations in terminology and anatomic descriptions of the temporoparietal soft tissue layers, with the aim of improving learning and communication across surgical disciplines.

METHODS

MEDLINE (1950-2009) searches were conducted for anatomic studies of the temporoparietal region, and for studies describing temporoparietal anatomy in the context of surgical techniques.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine articles were included in the review. Naming of the soft tissue layers of the temporoparietal region was inconsistent both within and across surgical disciplines, with several terms utilized for the same layer and occasionally the same term applied to different layers. Studies also varied in their description of the vascular, neural, and soft tissue architecture of the temporoparietal region.

CONCLUSION

A uniform, descriptive nomenclature is paramount to facilitating surgical education and interpreting future studies. A naming system based on the Terminologica Anatomica is proposed in this review. From superficial to deep, the proposed terms for the soft tissue layers of the temporoparietal region include: temporoparietal fascia, loose areolar tissue plane, superficial leaflet of temporal fascia, fat pad of temporal fascia, deep leaflet of temporal fascia, fat pad deep to temporal fascia, temporalis or temporal muscle, and pericranium.