| Palatovaginal canal | |
|---|---|
| Base of skull. Inferior surface. (Pharyngeal canal labeled at right, tenth label from the top.) | |
| Latin | c. pharyngeus, c. palatovaginalis |
| Gray's | subject #46 180 |
The palatovaginal canal (also pharyngeal canal) is a canal between the sphenoid bone and the palatine bone that connects the nasopharynx with the pterygopalatine fossa. An inconstant vomerovaginal canal may lie between the ala of the vomer and the vaginal process of the sphenoid bone, medial to the palatovaginal canal, and lead into the anterior end of the palatovaginal canal. It transmits the pharyngeal branch of the third part of the maxillary artery.
It contains the pharyngeal branch of the maxillary nerve and the Pharyngeal branches of maxillary artery.
The opening to the palatovaginal canal in the nasal cavity is located near the lateral margin of the ala of the vomer, at the roots of the pterygoid process. The other opening to the palatovaginal canal is located inferiorly and posteriorly in the pterygopalatine fossa.
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.