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Exploration of the brain from the medial aspect

Internal capsule, ansa lenticularis and subthalamic nucleus

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Image #16-7
Diagram Image
Legend Image
Exploration of the brain from the medial aspect
Internal capsule, ansa lenticularis and subthalamic nucleus
The mammillary body, the remaining portion of the column of the fornix and mammillothalamic tract have been removed. The optic tract has now been partially exposed. Most of the thalamic tissue has been scraped away to expose the internal capsule. The continuity of the cerebral peduncle into the internal capsule is thus made clearly visible. Fibers of the ansa lenticularis (25) can be seen to loop around the medial border of the internal capsule in their course from the globus pallidus to the tegmentum of the subthalamic region. Numerous broken ends of fibers passing from the thalamus into the internal capsule are seen at (20) and at (6).
  1. Pericallosal artery (retracted upward)
  2. Cingulate gyrus
  3. Cingulum
  4. Caudate nucleus
  5. Stria terminalis
  6. Internal capsule
  7. Anterior commissure
  8. Fibers of rostrum of corpus callosum passing into anterior part of superior frontal gyrus
  9. Orbital artery
  10. Anterior cerebral artery
  11. Optic tract
  12. Infundibulum
  13. Internal carotid artery (cut across)
  14. Oculomotor nerve (III) and cerebral peduncle
  15. Uncus (hippocampal gyrus)
  16. Basilar artery
  17. Longitudinal fasciculus (pyramidal) of pons
  18. Subparietal sulcus
  19. Corpus callosum (splenium)
  20. Broken ends of fibers of thalamic radiation into internal capsule
  21. Cut wall of posterior part of thalamus (postero-lateral nucleus and pulvinar)
  22. Posterior cerebral artery (lying within transverse fissure)
  23. Ventral posterior lateral nucleus of thalamus (slight discoloration due to blood pigment)
  24. Hypothalamic nucleus
  25. Ansa lenticularis
  26. Medial lemniscus (cut across)
  27. Brachium conjunctivum (superior cerebellar peduncle) (cut across)
  28. Basilar part of pons (cut surface in midsagittal plane)