The Anterior Olfactory Cleft: An Area of Weakness Caused by the Ethmoidal Fissure

OUR ANATOMICAL STUDY DEMONSTRATES THE EXISTENCE OF BOTH FORAMINA. THE ETHMOIDAL FISSURE CLEARLY REPRESENTS AN AREA OF WEAKNESS AT THE ANTERIOR PART OF THE OLFACTORY CLEFT, WHICH COULD PREDISPOSE TO ANTERIOR SKULL BASE CSF-LEAK AND MENINGOCELES. 1Rouviere H, Precis d’anatomie et de dissection, 1911 and later editions 2Gray H, Spitzka E, Anatomy, descriptive and applied, 1913 and later editions 3Jankowski R. Endoscopic resection of the olfactory cavity. Fr ORL. 2007;93:341-6. 4-Dare AO, Balos LL, Grand W. Neural-dural transition at the medial anterior cranial base: an anatomical and histological study with clinical applications. J Neurosurg. 2003;99(2):362-365. 5Vasvari G, Reisch R, Patonay L. Surgical anatomy of the cribriform plate and adjacent areas. Minim Invasive Neurosurg. 2005;48(1):25-33. ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO....... MATERIAL AND METHODS