Maxillary Nerve

Description

Arising from the trigeminal ganglion, the maxillary nerve (CN V2) courses anteroinferiorly from the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus to the skull base, where it traverses the foramen rotundum into the pterygopalatine fossa. The ophthalmic (V1) division lies superior to V2, while the mandibular division (V3) descends more inferolaterally toward the foramen ovale, establishing the classic three-division fan of CN V in cranial base orientation. Proximal fascicles of the trigeminal trunk and the bundled axon architecture are emphasized, with surrounding soft tissues and nearby muscles rendered as deeper red forms for contrast. Bone is the fixed reference. Tracking V2 through foramen rotundum matters because that short segment localizes disease and guides intervention. Perineural tumor spread from midface malignancies can ascend along the infraorbital nerve to V2 and the trigeminal ganglion, and foraminal widening at the foramen rotundum on CT or MRI is a common clue. The same anatomy frames procedures such as a maxillary nerve block (including approaches targeting the pterygopalatine fossa) and helps explain patterns of facial hypoesthesia in trigeminal neuropathy versus trigeminal neuralgia, which more often involves V2 and V3 distributions. Use this artwork in neuroanatomy and head and neck anatomy teaching when you need a clean cranial base path for CN V2 that links gross landmarks to nerve fascicles. It also fits radiology and oncology publications discussing perineural spread, and surgical or dental anesthesia materials addressing V2 blockade and related complications. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.