Possibility of middle meningeal artery-to-petrous internal carotid artery bypass: an anatomic study.

The possibility of creating a middle meningeal artery (MMA)-to-petrous internal carotid artery (ICA) bypass was investigated in six cadavers (bilaterally). Such a procedure could be used to treat patients with high cervical vascular lesions and those with tumors of the infratemporal fossa invading the high cervical ICA. After a frontotemporal craniotomy, the foramen spinosum and foramen ovale were exposed extradurally. Immediately posterior to the foramen ovale and medial to the foramen spinosum, the petrous portion of the ICA was exposed with a diamond-tipped drill. The MMA was lifted from its groove, and a sufficient length was transected to perform a bypass with the petrous ICA medially. The mean width of the MMA at the site of anastomosis was 2.3 +/- 0.35 mm. The mean length of MMA from the foramen spinosum to the site of the anastomosis was 9.6 +/- 1.7 mm. Based on these measurements, width and length of MMA appear to be sufficient for a bypass with petrous ICA.