Female Temporal Region, Lateral View

Description

Centered on the lateral temple, the temporal region is defined superiorly by the temporal lines of the frontal and parietal bones and inferiorly by the zygomatic arch, with the squamous part of the temporal bone forming the broad lateral wall. Near the anterosuperior portion of the fossa lies the pterion, where the frontal, parietal, temporal (squamous), and greater wing of the sphenoid meet in a thin, clinically exposed area. Anteriorly the contour approaches the lateral orbital rim and zygomatic bone, while posteriorly it tapers toward the root of the auricle and mastoid region. Subtle surface relief corresponds to the temporalis muscle deep to the temporal fascia and the course of the superficial temporal vessels ascending in the scalp just anterior to the ear. For teaching and clinical correlation, the pterion is the landmark most users care about because it overlies the anterior division of the middle meningeal artery, so a lateral skull impact here can produce an epidural hematoma with a classic lucid interval. It is a surgical waypoint. In craniofacial and neurosurgical approaches, the pterional craniotomy uses this region to access the sylvian fissure and circle of Willis, while in temporal artery biopsy the superficial temporal artery is targeted in the same neighborhood, with attention to the frontotemporal branch of the facial nerve crossing the zygomatic arch within the temporoparietal fascia. Use this lateral female temporal surface anatomy for head and neck gross anatomy labs, emergency medicine teaching on skull trauma patterns, neurosurgical atlases discussing pterional approaches, and aesthetic medicine education where temple filler placement must respect the superficial temporal artery and sentinel veins. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.