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Cranial Nerves

Imaging Anatomy and Frequent Pathologies

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Clinical Neuroradiology

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Abstract

Cranial nerves (CN) provide efferent (motor, autonomic) and afferent (sensory and autonomic) innervation to the head, face, and neck. Isolated CN palsies come with a typical differential diagnosis (e.g., vestibular schwannoma in hearing loss), based on the CN and the segment involved (central, cisternal, foraminal, peripheral). Multiple cranial nerves palsies reflect the impact of pathology in certain anatomical regions such as the cavernous sinus or systemic disorders such as sarcoid.

The first part of this chapter discusses recommended radiological techniques for the imaging of cranial nerve with a focus on the segment involved. The second part reviews the essential anatomy and clinical neuroradiology approach for each CN to depict the most frequent pathologies, including neoplasm (perineural tumor spread, meningioma, schwannoma), infectious/inflammatory diseases, vascular diseases including neurovascular compression, and trauma.

This publication is endorsed by: European Society of Neuroradiology (www.esnr.org).

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Abbreviations

AICA:

Anterior inferior cerebellar artery

CISS:

Constructive interference in steady state

CN:

Cranial nerve

CPA:

Cerebello-pontine angle

DWI:

Diffusion-weighted imaging

Fat-sat:

Fat-saturation

FIESTA:

Fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition

Gad:

Gadolinium

ICA:

Internal carotid artery

IJV:

Internal jugular vein

INO:

Internuclear ophthalmoplegia

MR:

Magnetic resonance

MRA:

Magnetic resonance angiography

MS:

Multiple sclerosis

NVCS:

Neurovascular compression syndrome

PCA:

Posterior cerebral artery

PICA:

Posterior inferior cerebellar artery

REZ:

Root entry zone

SCA:

Superior cerebellar artery

SPACE:

Sampling perfection with application optimized contrast

THRIVE:

T1-weighted high-resolution isotropic volume examination

TOF:

Time of flight (angiography)

TSE:

Turbo spin echo

TZ:

Transition zone

VIBE:

Volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination

Suggested Reading

  • Casselman J, Mermuys K, Delanote J, Ghekiere J, Coenegrachts K. MRI of the cranial nerves – more than meets the eye: technical considerations and advanced anatomy. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2008;18(2):197–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leblanc A. The cranial nerves. Anatomy, imaging, vascularisation. Vienna: Springer; 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naidich T. Cranial nerves: intra-axial and cisternal segments. In: Duvernoy’s atlas of the human brain stem and cerebellum. Vienna: Springer; 2009.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIRD – Centre d’Imagerie Rive Droite, Geneva, Switzerland

    Sven Haller

  2. Department of Surgical Sciences, Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Sven Haller

  3. Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Sven Haller

  4. Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Centre (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Frederik Barkhof

  5. UCL Institutes of Biomedical Engineering and Neurology, London, UK

    Frederik Barkhof

  6. Department of Radiology, Alrijne Hospital, Leiderdorp, The Netherlands

    Robin Smithuis

  7. Diagnostic, Vascular and Interventional Neuroradiology, Medical Radiological Institute, Zurich, Switzerland

    Bernhard Schuknecht

Authors
  1. Sven Haller
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  2. Frederik Barkhof
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  3. Robin Smithuis
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  4. Bernhard Schuknecht
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sven Haller .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Centre (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Frederik Barkhof

  2. The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and University College Hospital (UCH), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK

    Hans Rolf Jäger

  3. Section of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, University Hospital Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Majda M. Thurnher

  4. Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Vall d’Hebron University Hospital Professor of Radiology and Neuroimmunology, Autonomous University of Barcelona Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain

    Àlex Rovira

Section Editor information

  1. University College London, London, UK

    Tarek Yousry

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Haller, S., Barkhof, F., Smithuis, R., Schuknecht, B. (2019). Cranial Nerves. In: Barkhof, F., Jäger, H., Thurnher, M., Rovira, À. (eds) Clinical Neuroradiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68536-6_84

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68536-6_84

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-68535-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-68536-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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