Tectal Plate

Last edit by Alaric Steinmetz on 01.02.2025

Synonyms: Lamina quadrigemina, Lamina tecti, Tectum

The tectal plate is part of the midbrain.

Anatomy

The tectal plate lies on the dorsal surface of the midbrain and includes the superior colliculi as a relay station in the visual system as well as the inferior colliculi as a relay station in the auditory system[^1]. The tectal plate is anteriorly delimited by the mesencephalic aqueduct against the tegmentum mesencephali. It consists of a thin plate, the lamina tecti, on which the superior colliculi and the inferior colliculi are located.

Illustration

Tectum from posterior Rhoton — Anatomical illustration of the four-lobe plate with and without corresponding vascular structures. Illustration adapted from Albert Rhoton 2002 Neurosurgery.

Midbrain

Schematic representation of the mesencephalon. Image adapted from Wikimedia Commons.
Tectum from posterior Rhoton

Anatomical illustration of the four-lobe plate with and without corresponding vascular structures. Illustration adapted from Albert Rhoton 2002 Neurosurgery.