Rhinal Sulcus Of The Brain (Medial View)

Description

Rhinal sulcus (sulcus rhinalis) lies on the medial aspect of the anterior temporal lobe, forming a short, shallow groove at the anterior boundary of the parahippocampal gyrus. Immediately inferior and anterior to it, the cortical surface curves toward the uncus, while posterior continuity often aligns with the collateral sulcus that separates the parahippocampal gyrus medially from the fusiform (occipitotemporal) gyrus laterally. Superior to the sulcus, the temporal pole and adjacent medial temporal cortex frame the region commonly grouped under the rhinencephalon, linking olfactory-related cortex with limbic structures. A small sulcus, easy to miss. For medial temporal lobe teaching, the rhinal sulcus is a practical landmark because it helps students and surgeons orient to the anterior parahippocampal gyrus and the transition into entorhinal and perirhinal cortices, areas central to memory circuitry and seizure propagation. In anterior temporal lobectomy, selective amygdalohippocampectomy, and transsylvian or subtemporal approaches, consistent identification of this groove supports communication about resection margins near the uncus and the anterior hippocampal formation without relying on deeper ventricular anatomy. The fixed medial perspective also clarifies how a superficially modest sulcus marks a meaningful cortical boundary in the medial temporal lobe. Neuroanatomy faculty can place this illustration into limbic system modules, olfactory system lectures, and medial temporal lobe surface anatomy labs where the term rhinal sulcus is often confused with collateral and hippocampal sulci. Medical publishers will find it well suited for atlas plates that introduce the parahippocampal gyrus before moving to hippocampal cross-sectional content, and for epilepsy or dementia chapters that reference entorhinal cortex involvement. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.