[Surgical anatomy of the lateral wall of the sphenoid sinus].

Sixty-three sphenoid sinuses were examined in cadavers, with special attention to the neural and vascular structures on the lateral wall of the sinus. There are three structures producing prominences on the lateral wall of the sinus, 1) The carotid artery, including its presellar segment, infrasellar segment and retrosellar segment. The means of length, thickness and the distance to the middle line of the presellar one are 6.8 mm, 1.0 mm and 6.2 mm respectively. The means lf length, thickness and the distance to the middle line of the infrasellar one are 6.6 mm, 1.0 mm and 5.0 mm respectively. The means of length, thickness and the distance to the middle line of the retrosellar one are 6.6 mm, 1.8 mm and 7.1 mm respectively. 2) The bulge of optic canal, the means of its length, thickness and the distance to the middle line in sphenoid sinus are 4.8 mm, 1.0 mm and 5.5 mm respectively. 3) The maxillary branches of the trigeminal nerve, the mean of its length, thickness and the distance to the middle line in sphenoid sinus are 5.3 mm, 1.2 mm and 8.5 mm respectively.