The pterygoid canal is a small bony canal that connects the Pterygopalatine fossa with the Foramen lacerum and thereby with the middle cranial fossa.
Anatomy
The pterygoid canal perforates the base of the pterygoid process of the sphenoid bone. The intracranial opening of the canal is the foramen lacerum. The fibers of the Nervus petrosus major and the deep petrosal nerve, which form the nerve of the pterygoid canal, pass through the pterygoid canal and thus reach the pterygopalatine fossa. In addition, the pterygoid canal contains the artery and vein of the pterygoid canal.