{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T06:48:23Z","timestamp":1782197303310,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782172800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Surg."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The anterior petrosal (Kawase) approach is a well-established extradural corridor to the petroclival and upper clival regions; however, comprehensive bilateral morphometric data describing middle cranial fossa anatomy, particularly in Southeast Asian populations, remain limited.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To provide a comprehensive morphometric description of the microsurgical anatomy of the middle cranial fossa through the anterior petrosal (Kawase) approach based on bilateral cadaveric dissections.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A descriptive cadaveric study was performed on 21 formalin-fixed adult Vietnamese cadaveric heads (42 sides). Standardized extradural dissections following the anterior petrosal approach were conducted, and predefined linear and angular morphometric measurements of key osseous, neural, and vascular landmarks were obtained bilaterally.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The greater superficial petrosal nerve (GSPN), trigeminal ganglion, cochlea, internal auditory canal (IAC), superior semicircular canal, and petrous internal carotid artery were consistently identified in all specimens. The mean GSPN length was 10.66\u2009\u00b1\u20092.44\u2005mm. Key inter-foraminal and neurovascular distances included a mean distance of 29.68\u2009\u00b1\u20091.97\u2005mm from the foramen spinosum to the zygomatic root and 11.70\u2009\u00b1\u20092.44\u2005mm between the foramen ovale and foramen rotundum. Cochlear-related measurements demonstrated mean distances of 3.39\u2009\u00b1\u20090.98\u2005mm to the geniculate ganglion and 4.56\u2009\u00b1\u20091.29\u2005mm to the internal carotid artery genu. Angular analysis showed a mean angle of 121.82\u2009\u00b1\u200915.38\u00b0 between the GSPN and arcuate eminence, 104.07\u2009\u00b1\u200913.25\u00b0 between the GSPN and superior semicircular canal, and 45.42\u2009\u00b1\u200912.09\u00b0 between the IAC and superior semicircular canal. Paired right\u2013left comparisons demonstrated overall bilateral symmetry across most linear and angular parameters, with a significant side-to-side difference observed only in the IAC\u2013SSC angle.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study provides a comprehensive bilateral morphometric characterization of the middle cranial fossa via the anterior petrosal approach in a Vietnamese population. The findings confirm the reliability of key anatomical landmarks, delineate their spatial relationships, and demonstrate predominantly bilateral symmetry, thereby offering population-specific anatomical data that may support surgical planning, neuronavigation, and training in skull base surgery.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fsurg.2026.1780349","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T06:19:04Z","timestamp":1782195544000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Morphometric anatomy of the middle cranial fossa via the anterior petrosal (Kawase) approach: a bilateral cadaveric study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Huong Dinh","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Hanoi Medical University","place":["Hanoi, Vietnam"]},{"name":"Neuroscience Center, Vinmec Times City 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